Dawn Approaches
by SunnyCharm
Summary: The war has ended, the dawning of a new era in the world approaches. Decisions must be made, promises must be kept. Yet when disaster threatens to destroy everything for everyone, life as Katara and Zuko knew it is over for good.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: ATLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**Author's Notes: In case the length scared a few people off, I should clarify that this is by far my longest chapter - mainly because I was busy setting the scene and the mood. I also have a few more things about certain character's relationships, but I'll put them at the end of the chapter so as not to give anything away. Please review and comment.**

Dawn was rapidly approaching; Zuko could see it from where he lay in his bed from the open window. The sky, once a deep, inky blue, was now paling to a soft grey, and slowly the stars had begun to fade. He could see long, golden fingers reaching up above the horizon, beginning to stroke the sky, caress it into the day.

Zuko rolled over onto his side, his eyes sweeping over the small Ba Sing Se apartment that, for the last week, was his home – their home. Just by surveying the room, you could tell exactly who slept where. Although the room was furnished in the same green, yellow, and white colours that were common for upper-class Earth Kingdom civilians, you would have to be _more _than blind to acknowledge that the room was clearly being shared by the Four Nations. On the floor by Aang's bed was his staff, a rough replica of an airbending monk that he had metalbended under Toph's careful tutelage, as well as his dusty-gold monk robes. On Katara's bedside table was a recently acquired waterbending scroll – thankfully, obtaining it had not involved an encounter with pirates or being tied to a tree for questioning – as well as her mother's necklace, and several little metal clips that she used to fasten her hair with in the morning. Sokka's corner of the room looked as if Sozin's Comet had made a second appearance and crashed right there – the only recognizable object was his brand-new boomerang, his love rivaled for it only by his feelings for Suki. Toph had been the only member of the group who hadn't wanted to sleep indoors, instead making herself comfortable outside, while Suki's bed looked as though it had just been made, although she was still asleep in it – nothing was out of place.

In only a matter of minutes, the sky had already become brighter and a clearer shade of blue – pale, yet already warm; preparing for the deep brilliant summer blue that was yet to come.

Across the room, Zuko heard someone stirring. There was the sound of soft bed sheets being kicked away, the quiet padding of footsteps across the room. He reopened his good eye, wondering who had the mental strength to drag themselves out of bed at this hour. Although nobody was admitting it, the truth was that each and every member of the team was exhausted, from the physical and emotional results of the battles they fought when Sozin's Comet fell.

Speaking – mentally, anyway – of emotions, Zuko felt especially sorry for Toph, who only days ago had confronted Sokka and told her about her previous feelings for him, in order for her to move on. The whole ordeal had been extremely painful for both parties involved, as well as those unfortunate enough to witness it. But Zuko's thoughts for Toph were abruptly cut short. He had twisted his neck up at an odd angle to find who the early riser was, and in doing so stretched an array of painfully stiff muscles down his neck and spine. Zuko swore, sitting up rapidly, reaching out to rub his sore neck. But his oath had woken Momo, who until then had been happily asleep on Aang's bed, who then screeched at the top of his lungs and jumped across several beds – and the bodies asleep in them – until finally he sat in Zuko's lap, green eyes peering curiously at him, chattering away.

'Ungh,' came a semi-conscious groan from Sokka, 'still sleeping … noise … bad…'

By now everyone in the apartment was awake, and glaring at Zuko was accusing eyes, with the exception of Aang, who wasn't really the accusing type, so instead looked blearily at Zuko.

'You're not going to believe me when I said 'the lemur did it' are you?'

*

It wasn't _exactly_ cold outside the apartment, but there was a cool breeze blowing and no nice walls to ward it off. And Zuko wasn't _exactly_ dressed for battling the elements, wearing only his pants – he having dived for the door before somebody did something to him that required healing from Katara, whom he doubted would oblige to the request. She had probably returned to bed, along with everyone else. Thankfully, the streets of Ba Sing Se were relatively empty, so nobody saw him half-dressed – because although the sun was rising, it was still early.

'Sparky.'

Zuko turned around to where Toph's earth-tent was. She was standing in front of it; hands on hips, dark hair swinging lose around her shoulders. He opened his mouth, about to speak, when a small cluster of rock all jammed together to make one small boulder slammed into him. Zuko, who had been sitting cross-legged at the time, grunted and fell forwards.

'What was that for?' he spluttered, spitting out chunks of earth from his mouth.

'That's for waking up everybody in the room and nearly giving them all heart attacks and waking me up!'

Zuko said nothing. _Stupid winged lemurs, so damn jittery. What good are they? _

Toph yawned loudly and went back into her earth-tent. Zuko sat up straight, wincing from the spasm of pain the action caused, pushing his shoulders back, testing to see where it hurt most – which was pretty much everywhere. Zuko knew that had had stretched his body's, and his bending's, limits the day he had fought Azula. Most of the physical pain was a result of being hit by the lightning, and hitting the ground at the angle he had. According to Iroh, he was lucky not to have snapped his neck or seriously broken anything. Apart from the scar, Zuko had only suffered cuts and bruises from being dragged across the ground. Compared to so, _so _many he had been very lucky.

_Breathe deep. In and out. You've done this before, you can do it again. There was the usual hissing sound as Azula charged up her lightning. _

_There was a loud crack. _

_He saw the direction – the person – she had aimed it for. _

_No!_

As much pain and agony he had suffered in the aftermath of that one-second decision, Zuko had never come to regret his actions. For regret, you had to understand what you had done and why. He doubted he would ever know why he had jumped in front of that lightning bolt for Katara. There hadn't been any time to think, all it had taken was two steps to his right and then he was writing in pain on the ground.

Zuko's eyes drifted shut. He was tired … he hadn't slept well last night. Or for that matter any night. It wouldn't be that bad to take a nap on the grass outside the apartment, would it? Surely Aang or someone who wasn't that mad at him for waking them all up, scratch that, it would be Aang, would come and wake him up before all of Ba Sing Se saw him. Zuko heard footsteps.

'I thought you'd want – might need this.'

The voice was unmistakable; it was Katara. Ignoring the pain that the action caused him, Zuko twisted his neck around so he could see her. She was carrying his clothes; he recognized their crimson and gold colouring.

'Your punishment is that you're not allowed your boots,' said Katara, looking faintly amused. 'It was Sokka's idea. You can collect them when we decide to let you in again.'

'Thanks,' said Zuko, standing up and taking the bundle from her, quickly slipping his clothes on. 'Are we going to the Jasmine Dragon?' Uncle didn't serve food at his tea shop, but often let them cook their food and eat there.

'No,' said Katara, 'yesterday Toph and I found a noodle place. They start serving early, so everyone's having breakfast there. You're welcome to come.'

_It's good to hear that my exile doesn't exclude me from meal-time. _'Sorry,' said Zuko, 'I'm not that hungry. I think I'll visit Uncle instead.'

'Oh, okay. If you like I'll bring a bowl and bring some noodles back for you, in case you're hungry later. You'd be able to reheat them, right?'

'… Right,' said Zuko, surprised by Katara's generous offer. If he didn't know any better, he would have called it friendly, perhaps caring. But Zuko _did_ know better.

Although their relationship had bordered on 'almost friends' since the battle with Azula – he supposed it was hard to wholeheartedly loathe somebody who took a bolt of lightning for you, if he looked at the situation from Katara's perspective – to Zuko it always seemed somewhat strained. It wasn't that Katara openly avoided him or deliberately broke off conversations – not that they participated in many to begin with – with him, he just got the feeling that him being around her made Katara uncomfortable. So, on the whole, he tried to stay out of her way.

But in this case, Zuko wasn't purposefully not joining the group for breakfast; he actually did need to speak to Uncle. Although he hadn't spoken to anybody apart from Iroh about this, he was eager to return home from the Fire Nation. Zuko didn't understand why Iroh had told him that he needed to rest – _a man needs his rest _– when he was needed most back home. But Iroh had persisted, even going as far as to rent the apartment out of his own purse, and eventually won. He always did. But it had been two weeks of serving tea at the Jasmine Dragon, and Zuko felt that he had neglected his country for far too long. He was the Fire Lord now; he shouldn't be serving tea and – before she had left – playing Pai Sho with Mai. He needed to start doing things; he needed to bring back a country that was now in ruins after a century of pouring all of their funds into the war effort. Just thinking about the paperwork involved was giving Zuko a headache.

Zuko had to admit, his uncle was a clever man. The apartment was only a few minute's walk from the Jasmine Dragon, barely one if you ran. After everyone had left for the noodle shop, he had gone to get his boots – while giving Momo a steely glare – and made his way to the Jasmine Dragon. As he walked in the front door, Zuko noted that it was a relatively slow morning, despite the tea shop's growing popularity. He looked around, scanning the room for –

'Nephew!'

- Zuko turned around, before being bowled over by an enthusiastic embrace. Amused, he concentrated on staring at the wall, focusing on ignoring the looks he was getting from the few customers that were seated. He wondered if they recognized him – oh well, he would have to get used to people staring.

'Uncle? Can we talk in the back room? It will be only a few minutes.'

'Of course,' said Iroh with a smile. 'Are the Avatar and his friends joining us this morning?'

'Not today, Uncle,' said Zuko as the two walked to the back room; 'they're having noodles.'

'Well when you return home, you must tell them that they must come here tomorrow, because I am a very jealous man – and all the publicity I get when the Avatar has his breakfast here really brings in the gold coins!' said Iroh happily. 'I've been able to buy some excellent woodwinds for my one-man band, at a bargain price too!'

Zuko just shook his head; Iroh was one shrewd businessman. By now they were in the back room – it was very small, with two chairs and an old, disused Pai Sho table in the corner. Zuko swore he could see spider-mouse cobwebs.

'So, Nephew, what is it you needed to speak so urgently to me about?'

Zuko swallowed. 'Uncle, I know you wanted me to stay in Ba Sing Se another week –'

Iroh frowned, pursing his lips.

'– But I need to go back to the Fire Nation. Tomorrow.'

Iroh slammed his fist down on the Pai Sho table, making Zuko jump. 'You are just a child!' he roared. 'You are a _child _who was hit by lightning – you would have died if not for Miss Katara's healing! And even if a man was lucky enough to survive an injury like yours, he would spend _months_ recuperating at home! You are a child who took full advantage of Sozin's Comet's power, power that is not a child's to hold! You – need – to – rest!'

Zuko felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. 'Uncle, don't you understand?' his voice sounded pathetically small in comparison to Iroh's deep one. 'I'm the Fire Lord now, the Fire Nation needs me. I have to go home.'

'The Fire Nation can wait,' rumbled Iroh, 'for my son to heal before he charges off to lead a country that is on the brink of destroying itself.'

'Which is exactly why I have to go home now!' cried Zuko, exasperated. 'There's no time for waiting for my body to fix itself, it can do that back home –'

'Home?' bellowed Iroh. 'Home is not the nation you are born in; surely you are not blind enough to believe that! Home is when you are with your family, friends, and loved ones, no matter which nation you are in!'

Zuko paused, thinking of the days at the Western Air Temple, Ember Island. Camping in tents at night and sitting around fires to stay warm. Earning their trust, and finally their respect. He realized the truth in his uncle's words – home had been with them.

'Home has to wait for now,' he said quietly, 'I have to leave. I have responsibilities as Fire Lord I can't ignore.'

Iroh's face softened. 'You must forgive an old man for being too cautious about his son's wellbeing, I let my feelings for you cloud my judgment – I apologize for calling you a child, Prin –' Iroh stopped, smiling, '_Fire Lord_ Zuko.'

'Apology accepted,' said Zuko.

'I can arrange for you to leave by tomorrow afternoon, unless you have other plans for traveling,' said Iroh. Zuko could see that his uncle was trying to keep his face blank. He wished they could go together.

Zuko knew that Aang would fly him to the Fire Nation on Appa if he asked, but he also knew that Aang could be spared for a few days – he would probably enjoy having some extra time with Katara.

'If you could arrange transport for me, I would appreciate it,' said Zuko.

There was the sound of people talking loudly, and a panicked expression suddenly crossed Iroh's face. 'Nephew, I fear that the customers will start rioting if I do not start serving them tea _now!' _

Zuko realized just how long they had been in the back room. 'I'm sorry I kept you, Uncle. I should be going, too.'

Zuko opened the door, preparing to leave the Jasmine Dragon, when he walked straight into someone. Katara, holding a bowl of noodles. From the burning anger in her eyes, Zuko knew that she had heard everything.

'You. Outside. Now.'

**Extra Note: I feel the need to explain Katara's attitude to toward Zuko in case a few readers are confused. Here it goes ...**

**Throughout the first ATLA season, Katara and Zuko are mortal enemies, and the same goes throught season two as well - with the exception of COD, when we see the two begin to trust each other. By mid season three when Zuko joing the gang, Katara is still - for lack of a better word - hostile towards Zuko. Even after he earns her trust in TSR, viewers didn't really get to see them have much interaction alone. After the series finale, you can be sure that they're friends. And I can see Katara doing the exact same thing for Aang - she's just being friendly.**

***Phew* Sorry that took so long.**


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story. Thanks to Mike and Bryan for making such a terrific show.**

**Author's Notes: I'm still figuring out which buttons to press to get where, so I'm a little confused right now. But in case anyone's wondering why these chapters are getting 'written' so fast, it's because I started writing DA long before I joined . Enjoy!**

'What did you expect was going to happen?' cried Katara. 'Did you think that we would all wake up one morning and just not notice you had _gone?' _

Zuko said nothing. Uncle was right – he never thought things through. 'I was going to tell everyone tonight,' he said. 'During dinner –'

'How could you just leave without telling anyone you were planning to?' Katara was seething.

Zuko could feel his heart hammering away in his chest. 'You know I can't stay here forever,' he said. 'I – I'm the Fire Lord now. And this isn't just about the Fire Nation, it's about the –'

'Don't you _dare_ bring the fate of the world into this, Mr. High-and-Mighty! That's everyone's responsibility, not yours alone!'

'What did you want me to do about it?' said Zuko, at his wit's end. 'Have the filing cabinets shipped over so everyone could work out _my _country's problems as a family?'

'You could have told us you were leaving, instead of skulking off into the night! And what about Aang, he's meant to be going with you – _in one week's time! _Not tomorrow afternoon!_'_

'I was going to tell him he could fly up on Appa when he felt like it! I thought he'd like to have as much time as possible with you before he left!'

Katara's eyes widened, but they weren't looking at him. 'Zuko!'

There was a _whoosh _and then Katara fell backwards, arms pinned to the ground. Zuko spun around, narrowly missing the earth-gloves that were meant for him. They crashed into the alleyway wall – Katara had dragged him down it so nobody could hear her yell (although she had called it 'talking') at him.

Suddenly Katara's cries were cut short. Zuko turned around, his mind gearing into overdrive. An earth glove was over Katara's mouth. Silencing her.

_Dai Li style._

No. Zuko couldn't move – suddenly he was slammed against the wall, arms and legs pinned, a few meters away from Katara. Then three Dai Li appeared. Two stayed at alleyway entrance, one walked down it until he stood above Katara. Zuko noted that they had also pinned down her legs – could waterbenders bend with their legs? If so, it must only be done rarely, Zuko had never seen Katara do it. If anything, the Dai Li were thorough.

'Fire Lord Zuko,' spoke the agent in a calm, serious voice, 'your friend here is in no position to help herself. She cannot cry for help, she cannot bend. We have not covered your mouth because we need you to speak.' The agent paused. 'On the other hand,' he flicked his wrist. Zuko tasted dirt. He heard the two agents waiting at the entrance smother mirthless laughter. 'Maybe not.'

The agent stepped over Katara until his eyes bored into Zuko's. 'I assure you, if you do _anything_ that suggests you are trying to escape, we _will_ kill her, understand?'

Zuko nodded. Again, the agent flicked his wrist. Katara was dragged across the ground until she was at the agent's feet. Zuko saw her twist her neck around to see what was happening. Blue eyes met the gold.

_I'm so sorry. _Zuko wished Katara could hear his thoughts. _This is my entire fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry …_

The agent took a step back. He used his foot to push Katara's head to the side. 'I admit she's pretty enough, but she doesn't look really like your type.' He took back his previous position, standing over Katara. Zuko gagged when he saw that the agent was standing _in her hair, _and swallowed dirt. His sides heaved.

The agent hovered the earth glove over Zuko's mouth, letting him choke and gasp for air for barely a second before he slammed it on again.

'As much as I would like to see you die,' he said, 'sadly I have orders that you must be kept alive, which means I'm not allowed to let you suffocate. But enough idle chit-chat. Let's get down to business, shall we?'

Zuko said nothing.

'Your foolish uncle made a grave mistake in keeping you and your friends in Ba Sing Se, all under the same roof. You are an unmistakable group; your patterns are so very easy to track. You were blind to the 24-hour surveillance we kept on your apartment; because of your uncle's presence you were lulled into a false sense of security.' The agent smiled. 'Yesterday we almost cornered your friend here and the earthbender, but at the last minute we decided to let them go. You see, Fire Lord Zuko, it's you and your co-operation we need. But for you to comply with the latter, we need them.'

Zuko could feel the blood draining out of his face.

'This is what will make you a much easier puppet than your sister – she was wise to place her trust in nobody, clever not to care. But you do care. You cared enough to risk your freedom and sneak into the Boiling Rock to free your friend's father and girlfriend, among other things. By putting your faith into your friends, you may have spread your power, but in doing to you weakened yourself. For you see, _you_ may be able to physically withstand hours of … interrogation. But you couldn't stand if we interrogated her, could you?'

Zuko was frozen. His heart skipped several beats. He couldn't even _look_ at Katara. What was going to happen to everyone _because of him?_

'Fire Lord Zuko, we have surrounded your house. Tomorrow you are leaving for the Fire Nation, and you will. You are not to take the Avatar with you, or any of your friends. We will contact you when you reach the capitol. If you make one false move, try to escape, or free your friends, we will not hesitate to eliminate them – one by one. Slowly. You are to obey our every order – understood?'

Zuko nodded. He dared to glance down at Katara. She was twisting her neck towards the alleyway entrance. What was she trying to tell him?

'We are going to let you and your friend go now. Do not try to follow us, or we will have the agents surrounding your apartment kill your friends. Wait five minutes, and then you can leave. We will be following you.'

The agent walked to the alleyway entrance, rejoining his friends. They were out of sight when the earth shackles were released. He instantly ran over to Katara, who was now kneeling on the ground.

'Did he hurt you?' he asked, panic rising – was there blood? He couldn't see any. 'Are you alright?'

'I – I'm fine,' said Katara shakily, rubbing her wrists and ankles. 'What about you, are you all right?'

Zuko took a shaky breath. 'No, I'm not all right. This is my entire fault; I've put everyone danger!' He turned away from Katara, facing the wall which he had been pinned against moments ago. 'What do I do?' His voice was small.

There was silence. Then Katara spoke. 'Zuko, do you trust me?'

Zuko turned back to face Katara. 'Of course.' He was surprised when he realized what he said was truly sincere.

'I have an idea, but I'm not sure if it will work. Whatever happens, don't struggle, and don't fight. Can you do that?'

'Of course,' said Zuko.

Katara took a step away, raising her arms, preparing to bend. Suddenly Zuko felt as if his body had been drenched in freezing cold water. He gritted his teeth, bracing himself.

'Zuko, you're fighting me. You need to relax.'

Zuko took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He gasped as his knees smacked on the ground, suddenly his arms were out in front of him as his forehead touched the ground. But his actions were stiff and unnatural, they moved in quick, jerky motions. Then Zuko was being pulled up as if he were a puppet, then walking forwards a few steps. He could still move his eyes – he looked up. Katara was standing in front of him, pulling at the air, a look of intense concentration on her face. He hit the ground again.

'Sorry,' she gasped.

Then Katara dropped her arms, and the ice left Zuko's blood. They both sank to the ground, exhausted.

'What was that?' asked Zuko.

'Bloodbending.' Katara's voice was full of contempt. 'There's water in everyone's blood, and I was bending yours. I thought I could try it on the Dai Li agents, but …'

'I remember you did it once before,' said Zuko, 'on the Southern Raider's ship to the captain. You were using the same forms on me that you used on him.'

'I was very angry when I did that,' said Katara. 'Afterwards, I couldn't believe what I'd one. I swore I'd never bloodbend again, it's so wrong.'

Then Zuko understood. Katara wasn't going to bloodbend the Dai Li agents because she thought it was evil. He sighed. Katara looked up.

'Zuko, I'm sorry,' she said, eyes filling with tears, 'but I can't. I never wanted that kind of power and –'

Zuko saw the tears begin to spill. He knew what Aang and Sokka would do if Katara was crying, they would hug her or hold her hand until the sobs subsided. But Zuko couldn't do that. So he instead gritted his teeth and thought hard. There _had_ to be a way out of the situation. He couldn't let the Dai Li make him their puppet lord. But no matter how hard he thought, there wasn't an option.

'Zuko, I think it's been five minutes. We have to go.'

Zuko looked up. Katara was wiping her eyes. He nodded, not wanting to speak in case it revealed the fear in his voice. There wasn't a way out – no matter what they tried, someone would be hurt.


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**Author's Notes: I don't want to give too much away, except that this chapter is more fast-paced than the others. And I'm dying to know what my readers think of Dawn Approaches so far - so please review! **

It was turning out to be a beautiful summer's day. Everybody was outside, sitting on the grass. Zuko wanted to yell at them, tell them to get indoors where it was safe – but he couldn't. Although Zuko looked around, he couldn't see any of the Dai Li, they must have hidden themselves well, so well that Toph couldn't hear their heartbeats.

'Katara! Zuko!'

It was Aang. He rode over to them on his air scooter, rushing past them and then returning to circle them several times, before jumping off with a smile on his face, Momo on his shoulder, a wide grin on his face.

'Where were you guys?' he asked. 'You've been gone a while.'

'I, ah, I went to get Zuko from the tea shop,' said Katara quickly.

'– And Uncle insisted that we stay for a cup of tea,' added Zuko. He hoped he sounded convincing.

'Oh, okay,' said Aang. He frowned. 'Are you guys all right? You look kinda … pale. Like you've seen a ghost – Katara, why are you covered in dirt?'

Zuko looked at Katara. She _was_ covered in dirt, from being dragged by the Dai Li. Zuko remembered how the agent had stood in her hair, and felt bile rise in his throat.

'I tripped,' said Katara stiffly.

'Must have been some trip,' said Sokka dryly, from where he was sitting with Suki. He had one arm around her shoulder. 'Did you decide to make like a rabbit-hen and take a dust bath?'

'I should probably go inside and clean myself up,' said Katara with a small, forced laugh. She walked up the steps to the apartment and went inside.

The rest of the day, Zuko's stomach was in knots. What he really wanted was to speak to everyone about what had happened, but the Dai Li agent had said that they were watching the house. Were they listening in as well? At one point Zuko thought he saw a pair of eyes staring at him from the leafy foliage of a tree, but then he blinked and they were gone. He caught Katara's eyes a few times, and each time he did he saw she was just as scared as he was.

*

Zuko was having a nightmare. He was back in the plaza, battling Azula. Only it wasn't just Katara who was with him, everyone else was too: Iroh, Aang, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and even Mai. Azula shot the lighting at the group, and Zuko moved to block it. But he was too slow, and then they all disappeared in a bright flash of white-blue light.

_If we do not learn from past mistakes, history is doomed to repeat itself._

Zuko stirred. Where had the voice come from? He struggled, feeling sudden pressure over his mouth. He blinked, and looked up. It was Katara. She pressed a finger to her lips, taking her hand off of his mouth, and beckoned for him to stand up. Everyone was standing in the centre of the room, huddled in a circle. Zuko saw Aang – the Avatar's eyes were wide and scared, with a haunted look about them. He joined the circle.

Katara beckoned for them to lean in closer. Then she spoke in a voice so quiet Zuko could hardly hear it. 'Everyone knows what happened. We're all leaving tonight. It's not safe for anyone to be here.'

Zuko wanted to protest, but he couldn't. What if the Dai Li were listening?

'Toph and I are going with Aang. We'll be flying out on Appa; we need Zuko and the others to try to keep the Dai Li at bay. Zuko, you're in charge of getting Sokka and Suki safely out of Ba Sing Se. We're regrouping at the Sun Warrior ruins, Aang figures that the Dai Li won't follow us into Fire Nation territory. Then we'll come up with a way to get Zuko onto the throne.'

Zuko swallowed nervously – there were so many flaws in the plan. So many things could go wrong. But this was their only option, and Zuko didn't have any ideas of his own. And he could tell from the way that the group was listening, they'd already made up their minds. Sokka hadn't complained when he was told Zuko was going with him for his and Suki's protection. He knew that there wasn't time for them to get his uncle. Although Zuko knew that Iroh was an excellent firebender and would be able to take care of himself, he still wished that he was coming with them.

'Let's go,' he said.

The second Zuko stepped out of the house; boulders were flying at him. Before he even had time to think, Dai Li were appearing out of nowhere, Zuko couldn't believe it when he saw them rising out from under the ground.

Toph immediately sent walls of solid earth at the Dai Li. They just sank back into the ground, letting it pass over their heads, and rose again.

They were completely, utterly, and hopelessly outnumbered. Yet somehow Zuko could see that Toph, Katara and Aang were making their way to Appa, who was keeping the Dai Li at bay by using his tale to create strong gusts of wind, Momo sitting in the saddle, screeching at the top of his lungs.

Zuko was surrounded, Sokka and Suki at his side. Breaking the boulders of rock and earth the Dai Li sent flying at him was exhausting work, the boulders were incredibly compact and it took a lot of firepower to sever them. Suki was having more luck with her fans, which sliced easily through the rock, while Sokka tried his luck with Boomerang II.

The Dai Li advanced. In only a matter of seconds they would be close enough to reach out and touch. Zuko did the only thing he could think of – he set the grass on fire, pulling it around him, Sokka and Suki like a wall. He heard Appa rumble, and turned in the direction. Toph, Katara and Aang had made it all the way next to the sky bison, but were now battling several Dai Li. And they were losing. Zuko was drenched by a wave of water that Katara had waterbended at the Dai Li, his fire wall suddenly extinguished.

Zuko felt all of the air in his body rush out of his mouth as a boulder of rock hit him squarely in the stomach. He hit the ground on his back, his head hitting the ground with a solid smack.

Everything went black, but then Zuko was up again, gasping for air – where were Sokka and Suki? Everything was spinning, even the trees. Zuko staggered forward, only to be surrounded by Dai Li agents. One stepped forward, while the others surrounded Zuko.

'You were told what would happen if you tried to escape, Fire Lord Zuko,' said the agent. Zuko realized it was the one who had spoken to him in the alleyway. 'Now you must pay the price.'

The agent motioned forward with his hand, and another one came forward. He had Suki. Another one had Sokka. Zuko must have been out longer than he had thought. He could still see Toph, Katara and Aang trying to get into Appa's saddle. Katara was actually standing in it, watching what was happening to Sokka. Her face was a mask of horror. But she would keep moving – that was the plan.

Why hadn't anyone noticed what was happening, why hadn't anybody heard the noise and come out to investigate?

'Which one will go first, Fire Lord Zuko? It's your choice.'

Zuko wondered what would happen if he killed himself – right now. Would the Dai Li leave? Would they take them prisoner –

- Zuko heard a cry from above, and looked up. Katara landed on the ground, long water whips at her arms. She immediately sent another wave crashing down on the Dai Li, screaming at Sokka and Suki to get into Appa's saddle. They did, racing across the ground, clambering up Appa's furry coat. Aang and Toph were already on Appa; Zuko saw the surprise on their faces when they heard Katara's order.

Zuko and Katara were simultaneously running to get to Appa and fighting the Dai Li. They were only ten meters away from him when the earth opened up below their feet. Katara fell forwards; Zuko quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back to solid land. Aang was sitting in the 'driver's seat' – as Sokka named it. Zuko realized he was looking at Katara. She nodded once. Their time was up; there was no hope left for them. Appa roared as he sailed into the sky, propelled by one push of his long tail.

Zuko turned to look at Katara. She was standing right next to him – he realized she was shaking.

'We have to surrender,' he said, 'we can't win now.'

Katara nodded. She looked as if she was about to be sick at the very least, or collapse at the very worst. She was keeping her eyes on the sky, where Appa was becoming barely a dot in the distance.

'Fire Lord Zuko.'

Zuko and Katara both turned around. They were well and truly surrounded.

The last time this had happened, Zuko hadn't had time to think. It had been so unexpected; he had done what he did without really acknowledging what was going on. But this time he knew what was happening before it did, he saw the agent lower his stance, saw the knife-sharp boulder shoot for her. And this time he was prepared. This time he wasn't too slow. Take that, nightmare.

'_ZUKO!' _

The pain was unbelievable. Zuko was gasping, he could see his blood pooling by his side. It looked black in the moonlight. The pool of blood was rapidly growing. Already his vision was blurring, all he could see was Katara's face. Tears were pouring down it.

Zuko sighed … and then he let go.


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**Author's Note: Today Dawn Approaches got it's first review! Big thanks to Toph-NSS who deserves a mention because I've been having minor spack-attacks every day worrying about what people think of my fanfic! *hugs***

_Colours … A great multitude of them. It reminded Zuko of the fire the dragons had created at the Sun Warrior ruins. He wondered if he was dead. It was very possible._

… Cool hands … ripple …

_Zuko thought back to his injuries. Where had the boulder hit him? He remembered his stomach had been burning with white-hot pain. At one point, Zuko was sure that he had been vomiting blood._

Faint silver light fading … something pulled at his heart … Inhale …

_That was odd. He had just seen a silver glow. See? Wasn't he dead?_

… Exhale …

Zuko gasped, eyes opening. The first thing he saw was a pair of blue eyes looking down at him. They were puffy and red. His vision refocused, and he took in the whole face. It was tired and scared, with deep purple shadows under the eyes. Dark brown hair was hanging lose around her shoulders, tangled and messy. This girl reminded Zuko so much of –

'Katara.' Zuko didn't realize he was talking until he realized the dry, scratched voice was his own.

'Zuko? Zuko!' Katara's eyes were filling with tears. 'You're alive…'

Then Zuko remembered what had happened. He looked up, pleasantly surprised to see he wasn't looking at the roof of a jail cell, but instead the clear blue sky. 'What happened?' he croaked.

'We got away,' said Katara quietly, looking down. Zuko noticed that her dress was soaked with dry blood.

'I'm sorry,' he said softly, his voice still rough and parched.

'You'd just collapsed and I …' Katara trailed off. 'I did what I had to do. Barely any were left.'

Zuko tried to sit up. He needed to thank her, but he didn't want to do it on his back. Katara saw what Zuko was trying to do, and put one arm around his waist, the other on his shoulder. She helped him sit.

'Thank-you,' he said, 'for everything.'

'I think I'm the one who should be thanking you,' said Katara, 'for everything.'

Zuko, overwhelmed by a surge of de ja vu, didn't want to talk about this any more. 'Where are we?' he asked.

'We're definitely north of Ba Sing Se, in the forest area.' Katara frowned, looking troubled. 'If we keep heading north, we should reach the Northern Air Temple. I figured there we'd find Teo and his father. They should be able to help us – if they're still there, that is.'

Zuko nodded. 'That sounds like a good plan. How are we going for supplies?'

Katara dropped her gaze. 'We have nothing,' she looked up, 'I'm sorry, there was no time and –'

'It's okay, we'll figure out something,' said Zuko quickly – they could figure out their problems later. 'How long will it take us to reach the air temple?'

Katara shrugged. 'I don't know – it was always so much quicker on Appa.'

Zuko looked up at the sky – he guessed it was about mid-afternoon. 'We should probably go now, get a head start.'

'Okay, let's go,' said Katara, standing up.

Zuko stood up as well. He instantly realized that he had made a mistake – the trees had begun to swirl again, and he was feeling dangerously light-headed. He staggered forward a few steps, his vision blurring. Zuko was about to fall straight back onto the ground when Katara caught him.

'You're heavier than you look,' she grunted, pulling Zuko's arm around her shoulder to support him. 'You alright?' she asked.

'Sorry about that,' said Zuko, relieved to see that everything had stopped swaying. 'I stood up too quickly.'

'Okay,' said Katara, letting him go. 'Are you sure you're okay to walk?'

Zuko took a tentative step forward. He instantly felt the familiar hot pain flare in his stomach, and bit down on his tongue so hard it bled. Katara was watching him, concerned.

'We don't have to leave straight away,' she said. 'You could sit for a while …' Katara trailed off.

'No, I'll be fine,' said Zuko. He didn't want to waste time. 'Let's go.'

*

Night was falling – it felt as if they'd barely made any distance. Zuko's body felt as if it was on fire, Katara had been right in thinking he needed more rest. However, he snapped some branches off of a few trees and started a campfire.

'We could really do with Toph just about now,' observed Katara as she sat down by the fire. 'Her earth tents would really come in handy.'

'At least it's summer,' said Zuko. He was thirsty, and it hurt to speak. 'It should be warm at night.'

'Thanks for the bite of the silver sandwich,' said Katara, smiling.

Zuko opened his mouth to protest, but stopped – he was really too tired to argue. Instead he reached over his neck, trying to reach the muscles between his shoulder blades, where it hurt most. He heard the rustling of shoes in grass, and saw that Katara was kneeling behind him.

'Do you want me to try healing your back?' she asked. 'It might take away some of your soreness.'

'No, you don't have to do that,' said Zuko quickly. 'I'll be all right … you should get some sleep instead.'

'Please, I'm not Toph – I've seen you all day, I know how sore your back is,' said Katara. 'And healing isn't at all tiring for me, it just requires concentration.'

'If you're sure …' Zuko felt uncertain. His back really was sore; anything to alleviate the pain would be good.

Katara genuinely laughed. 'Don't look so worried, Sparky. I've had plenty of practice at this. Just remember to breathe.'

Zuko smiled, faintly amused.

'Umm, Zuko, would you mind …?'

'Oh, sure. Sorry.' Zuko slid off his shirt, letting it rest in his lap. He looked down at his stomach. Apart from his old scar, there was a new one, a great ugly gash that looked as if a knife had gone straight through his stomach (which, in hindsight, it had), and many bruises that looked days old, as well as a great multitude of cuts.

Katara placed her hands on Zuko's back – he was amazed at how cool they felt. There was a swishing sound, and then he saw the familiar silvery glow out of the corner of his eyes. Zuko sighed, closing his eyes, almost on the verge of bliss. He stayed like this for several minutes, feeling the pain in his back literally pour out.

'How did that feel?' asked Katara, return his water to her waterskin. 'Do you want me to try your stomach as well?'

'Great,' said Zuko, 'and, yes, if you don't mind.'

'Okay, this time you can lie on your back if you like if it's more comfortable.'

Zuko settled down in the grass. It wasn't soft, but nevertheless it still felt comfy – or at least in comparison to the floor of a jail cell, which was where he could have been. Again, Zuko closed his eyes, letting his thoughts wander. He was almost asleep when a thought came to mind.

'Katara?' he murmured. 'Can I ask you something?'

'Go shoot.'

'What happened to me? How did you get out of Ba Sing Se?'

There was a pause. 'Once the Dai Li were done with, I carried you, you were still breathing then so I figured I had to get us out of Ba Sing Se quickly. When I got to the outer wall, I used a water-serpent form to get us both over it. Then I healed you, and dragged you into the forest.'

Something didn't make sense. 'Was I unconscious when you healed me the first time?'

Katara bit down on her lip. 'Yes. I didn't have time to do much, just close the main wound and check for internal damage.'

She was lying – Zuko clearly remembered a seeing a faint silver light fade. If he had been unconscious, he wouldn't have remembered it. But it was there – and he remembered a tugging sensation, almost as if … someone had been pumping his heart for him.

'Bloodbending.' Zuko couldn't believe it.

Katara's head shot up. 'What?'

'You used bloodbending on me, what happened?'

Katara turned away. Cold water slapped down on Zuko's chest.

'Your heart stopped, and I did what I had to do.'

Zuko couldn't believe it. 'So this 'evil' bending of yours saved my life?'

Katara suddenly whipped around so she was staring face-to-face at Zuko. 'No.' Her voice trembled. 'I used bloodbending without thinking – again. I always do.'

She regretted it – she regretted saving his life. 'So you're saying that if you'd had time to think about it, you would have let me die because bloodbending _goes against your morals_?' Zuko could feel the anger in him rise, thundering through him, coursing through his blood.

Katara turned away from Zuko. _She would have let him die. _


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**Author's Notes: Long-ish chapter. I've just about finished chapter six as well, so I might put that up later today. And big thanks to everyone who reviews Dawn Approaches, I love knowing what people think about the fanfic ... Because asking my relatives is useless because they don't watch the show and/or are biased :)**

Days later …

_Stupid Air Temple. Stupid Dai Li. Stupid lemur … _

Over the past few days, Zuko had developed the habit of mentally listing everything he hated about his life. At the top of Zuko's list were bloodbending, the time and effort it was taking them to reach the Southern Air Temple, and sometimes Momo if he was in the mood.

As usual, Zuko made the fire. As usual, there was nothing to eat. At least there was water to drink, which Katara would pull out of the grass, if necessary. But while Zuko remained well hydrated, he was starving. They hadn't eaten proper food since leaving Ba Sing Se. Zuko had started ripping sheets of bark off trees and gnawing at it to try and satiate his hunger, but to no avail.

Although Zuko still wished Toph was there to make them earth-tents, the night weather had previously been warm enough to have no cause for complaints. But tonight there was a cool breeze blowing, cool enough to make both Zuko and Katara draw closer to the fire. They'd barely spoken a word to each other since Zuko had asked her if she would have let him die.

_I used bloodbending without thinking. I always do._

What had Katara meant? Zuko shivered, feeling the breeze bite the back of his neck. He wished his clothes were warmer, but they were thin and designed for hot weather. Instead he rubbed his hands together, breathing fire on them to keep them warm. Zuko looked over to where Katara was sitting. She had also drawn closer to the fire, and was now sitting on her fingers to keep her hands warm. In a matter of minutes, the cool breeze had turned into a harsh wind. Zuko considered doing nothing, rolling over onto his side and going to sleep. But he remembered how Katara had healed his back to try and ease the soreness, and took pity. This time, it was Zuko's turn to walk over and sit next to Katara.

'If you want,' he began awkwardly, 'I can use my breath of fire on your hands. Since you were sitting on them, I figured …' he trailed off, wondering if it was possible for him to sound more stupid. Of course she would say no, he hadn't spoken a word to her in days –

'That would be nice,' Katara smiled gratefully, putting her hands in her lap. 'I suppose autumn's coming early,' she said.

Zuko said nothing, but inwardly agreed.

He took one of Katara's hands and breathed the fire down onto it, careful not to let the flames – just the heat – reach them. He took her next hand, only to feel it trembling.

'I'm not going to burn you,' he said simply.

Katara sighed. 'Thanks. Zuko, about the other day … I'm – I'm sorry.'

Zuko looked up. 'What?'

'I don't want to talk about it. But I'm sorry.'

This time it was Zuko who turned away. 'You're sorry for helping me live.'

'What?' Katara's voice was angry and shocked. 'How _dare_ you!'

'How dare _I_?' Cried out Zuko, turning around – he'd had enough of staying quiet while Katara yelled at him. 'You had no problem bloodbending me in the alleyway when the Dai Li came! But now that I think about it, it was probably just some plan to still make me pay for what I did in the catacombs!'

There was a crack and a stinging sensation across the unscarred side of his face. Zuko automatically raised his hand; he could already feel a bruise rising, while Katara returned the water to her waterskin.

'This isn't finished,' said Zuko, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around. They were both standing now.

'I think it is,' said Katara coolly.

'No,' said Zuko, 'it isn't over because I still have questions. You as good as told me the other day that you would have let me die.'

'What?' Katara's voice was no longer icy – it was high and all over the place.

'_I asked you if you would still have restarted my heart with bloodbending if you'd had time to think about it, and you said nothing!' _

'It's none of your business!'

'Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot that my life wasn't of any concern to me!'

'This has nothing to do with you, it's about bloodbending!'

'Your precious bloodbending was the only thing that could have saved me!'

'I used bloodbending because I had to!' screamed Katara. 'I _hate_ bloodbending because it's wrong and evil but I used it because I had to! I just wish there was another way!'

There was silence. 'You told me that you never thought before you used bloodbending,' said Zuko. 'What did that mean?'

'It means what it means,' said Katara stiffly. 'I use bloodbending without thinking – on the ship captain. I'm still ashamed of how angry I was …'

'But you said you 'always do'. You weren't thinking when you bloodbended me?'

The sound Katara made was a frustrated scream mixed with an agonized groan. 'No, I didn't think! There _must_ have been another way for me to heal you, but I went straight on and did the first thing that came to mind – even though every time I _do_ bloodbend I can hear her laughing at me: her legacy!'

'What?' said Zuko. 'Who?'

Katara refused to meet his gaze. 'Hama. She taught me bloodbending – against my will. I swore never to use it,' Katara's voice cracked, 'but it seems like I'm bloodbending every other day of the week.' Katara's shoulders were shaking.

Zuko turned away, giving Katara time to hold back the tears. He stared into the flames of the fire until his eyes watered and twitched. Then he turned back. Katara's face was blank, smooth as a sheet of ice. Even her eyes seemed expressionless; it was as if she had put on a mask. Not a single word betrayed her feelings.

And then Zuko knew that he had made a terrible mistake by looking into the flames when she had cried.

*

Food, at last!

Zuko eyed the fish cooking over the fire, inhaling its delicious scent. He breathed deeply through his nose, feeling the strings on his heart being pulled towards the fish. He was famished, starving …

Zuko pulled his eyes off of the fish and glanced at Katara, feeling his stomach drop, suddenly not hungry any more.

This wasn't like last time, barely speaking to one another, him barley being able to utter one word to her without revealing the storm seething below the surface. Then, Zuko had been hurt. This time he had hurt Katara.

She looked like a sculpture – face completely vacant. When Katara did speak to Zuko, which wasn't often, her voice was so cold and unforgiving it scared him. He had no idea how deep her anger and hatred of what he had done ran. He could feel his stomach knot up every time he thought about how he had stared into the flames, somehow knowing that this was far worse than what he had done in Ba Sing Se – only this time there was nothing he could do to earn Katara's forgiveness.

*

How the _hell_ had Aang put up with _this_ for over a year?

'I don't need to sit down,' he protested for the millionth time - only a slight exaggeration of the truth.

'Yes you do,' said Katara, not even looking at Zuko as she walked away. 'I'm going to see if I can find a river to get fish out of. I'll be back in an hour.'

'But I'm not tired!' he cried out angrily. Of course there was no answer.

Zuko sighed and stared at the ground. Stupid grass. He looked up. Stupid sky.

Three minutes slowly went by. A song-squirrel sang a merry tune. Zuko envisaged eighteen different scenarios in which Azula broke out of the mental facility. When he got home he would have to change her guard patrols. That fifteen-second gap could be the end of them all.

_If _he got home.

Zuko was sitting up against a tree. The rough bark was poking into his back. Katara had been right … he was tired. Without noticing, Zuko had closed his eyes. His breathing became deeper … Katara had been right … She always was …

_Who knew that skin could be so soft when you put your lips against? Breaking apart, resurfacing. Inhale, exhale. Her mouth on his, his hands resting on her hips, hers wrapped around his neck. Underneath the fabric of her dress, Zuko could feel her muscles tensing with nervous energy for what was coming. His lips shaped a silent word in her mouth. _

_Katara._

Zuko woke up gasping, eyes wide, sweat pouring down his face, stomach, back. Who knew it was possible for a dream to be so vivid, so bright? Usually he dreamt in fragments – pieces of thoughts joined together in a messy jigsaw. But never before like this. Zuko wondered where the dream would have gone if he hadn't woken … and felt the blood rush to his face.

*

Footsteps. Zuko looked up. He was so confused about his dream that it was impossible to meet Katara's eyes – not that she noticed, being too busy with the ice queen treatment to bother with the likes of him. At least Katara had fish with her.

There was no sound that night except that of a fire crackling and cooked fish being chewed and swallowed. Zuko's throat felt tight, and it hurt to swallow. Even now, hours later, his heart was still racing, thumping in his chest – it actually hurt.

Something was wrong. He couldn't hear the fire crackling – he couldn't see it properly, just one being glowing ball surrounded by darkness. What was happen –

'Katara …'

For the first time in days their eyes met. Then he passed out, face first, in the grass.

**About the bloodbending issue ... Although it wasn't my original plan, bloodbending it working out to have a bigger role in Dawn Approaches than intended. Katara doesn't see bloodbending itself as evil as much as she hates that she was forced to learn it - and there'll be more on that later, because I'm annoyed that the series never really showed Katara moving on from the whole 'fun' experience. **

**So there's more on bloodbending yet to come.**


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**Author's Notes: As I said before, the reason I'm getting chapters out so fast is because I'd already started Dawn Approaches before I'd joined . Or you can be nice and say it's because of my prolific-ness as a writer.  
I'm also considering doing a companion fanfic, of sorts, about what happens to Aang, Toph, Sokka and Suki on their way to the Sun Warrior ruins. I have a few ideas in mind, but I'm not sure if I'll wait until after Dawn Approaches is finished or not. (I'm aiming for twenty chapters. Because when you dream, you dream big, right?)**

Unlike the last time he had blacked out, Zuko regained his consciousness in one short snap – no faint silver light, no sense of feeling his chest rise and fall. This time the first thing he was aware of was that he could hear the sounds of the forest, and then Zuko opened his eyes and everything was clear – his vision perfect. The sky was deep black-blue, with shining white stars in the sky. It would have to be close to midnight.

'What happened this time?' he croaked, pulling himself up. At least this time he didn't need Katara to help him sit – he was strong enough to do _that_.

'You're sick,' said Katara softly.

Zuko thought back. Summer was almost over, autumn was arriving. What could he have caught?

Of course – the tree bark.

'I ate bark the other day,' he said. 'I think that did it – maybe there was something in the sap.'

There was an exasperated expression on Katara's face – it was the look a mother would give a child who had done something she had told him not to, but had gone ahead and done it anyway. But Katara wasn't angry at him, at least, not yet.

There was a familiar _whoosh _sound as Katara bended a thin ribbon of water out of her waterskin, with a flick of her wrist separating it, hovering the water over Zuko's wrists and forehead. Then Katara froze it, leaving it there – an attempt to bring Zuko's temperature down.

'What happened?' he asked.

'You fainted,' said Katara simply.

Zuko cringed. 'Fainting' sounded so … feminine. He was sure that somewhere, Azula was laughing at him.

'Oh,' he said. 'Okay.'

'It's nothing to be ashamed of,' said Katara. Zuko was surprised by her insight; it was as if she could read his thoughts. 'It was just your body shutting down. What exactly happened?'

Zuko thought back. 'I knew something was wrong when I couldn't hear the flames crackling on the fire. And then I realized I _could_ see – but it was all blurry and wrong. Then I … passed out.'

Zuko saw the corner of Katara's mouth twitch. 'That's pretty much what happens to most people,' she said. 'But the real mystery is the cause.'

'I ate bark,' said Zuko, 'end of story.'

Katara was frowning. 'That doesn't sound completely right – your symptoms are more of those of a person who's had a huge day outside in the hot sun and hasn't had enough water. Not someone sick from infected tree bark.'

Zuko felt tired. He didn't want to argue with Katara over contaminated tree bark and sap with germs in it. He wanted to go to sleep and not wake up for a month. So instead he rolled over onto his side, letting the grass be his mattress and the sky his blanket.

'Sorry,' he mumbled, already drifting into oblivion. How was it possible to be tired after being unconscious? He _was_ sick … how much longer would it take for them to get to the Air Temple now …?

*

Zuko knew that days were passing and that their progress to the Air Temple was very slow. His muscles felt like lead, every step took all the energy out of him. Zuko knew that he must look terrible. He had been sleeping on the ground every single night since leaving Ba Sing Se, and hadn't even begun thinking about how to get all of the dirt off of his skin. If not for his dark hair and gold eyes, Zuko wouldn't have been surprised if someone had mistaken him for Water Tribe.

Really, this was a bad idea. Sneaking out to search for a pond to bathe in, before dawn, in order to get his skin back to its normal hue was a _bad idea, _especially when you took into account that it was probably very good that Zuko was now unrecognizable as his former self – apart from the previously noted hair and eyes; as well as the scar.

But Zuko was sick of going to sleep covered in dirt, in dirt, only to wake up browner than he had before.

It had taken him half an hour to find the pond. And it wasn't really a pond – more of a lake. It was big, yet not too big to be of any significance, no need to put it in a map. But it was big enough for Zuko to know that, just by looking at it, he would have to take his bath cold. Because there was no way he could heat the entire thing. Zuko closed his eyes and willed for Sozin's Comet to flash across the sky – but he knew that, even with the comet's power, he wasn't strong enough to firebend like that.

Zuko striped down to his pants – daring to look down at the injuries on his stomach. The small cuts were now faint pink lines, and the bruises had all gone down. The second scar – the one that had been from the rocks piercing him – was closed, but Zuko knew that was only because of Katara's healing. When he thought about it, if it hadn't been for Katara, he would have been dead for a long time. Zuko swallowed.

The water was like ice. Zuko bit down hard on his tongue, drawing blood.

_Be a man, _he told himself firmly; _don't let cold water scare you off._

Summoning up what remained of his courage, Zuko ducked under the water. He stayed there for a second, letting his eyes adjust. It was very quiet under the lake. The sounds of the songbirds were muffled. It was very peaceful … Then Zuko was distracted by tight pain in his chest and remembered that the supply of air in his lungs was not infinite, and quickly resurfaced, gulping down air.

His hair was sticking to his forehead; he quickly brushed it back, running his fingers through it. Zuko wasn't too surprised when his hand came back a light shade of brown. Yet he smiled, because one year ago he never would have dreamed of sleeping on the ground. Or getting down on his hands and knees in front of his former enemies. Or jumping in front of a bolt of lightning for a girl he had betrayed. Or accidentally calling Uncle Iroh 'father'.

Zuko realized the pricking sensation in his eyes were tears forming, and blinked hard.

'Zuko?'

He looked up, turning towards the voice. It was Katara.

'What – how?' _Good job, Zuko, _he told himself; _you truly are the master of words. _

'I knew there was a large amount of water around here somewhere,' she said, 'I felt it when we arrived in this section of the forest.'

'Oh. Okay.'

'It seems like we had the same idea,' said Katara.

Zuko realized she was wearing white underwear, and holding her dress in her arms. He quickly looked down at the water's surface – it reached his stomach.

'I should go back and clean up the camp,' he began – they always had to destroy all signs that people had been there. 'I've been here a while already,' he lied.

'As if,' said Katara, putting her dress down by the side of the lake and walking into the water until it reached her hips, 'I'm going to let that happen. The minute I look away you'll be blown up or –' Katara made a sound that sounded like a small gasp – a sob.

This time Zuko didn't have to think about it. He didn't want to turn his back or stare into the flames and wait until it was all over. The four steps he took toward Katara were slowed down by the fact there was water in the equation, but once he was there he put a hand on her arm.

'You know I'm sorry,' said Zuko. Because this wasn't about him. Even now, it was still about Ba Sing Se – in so many ways.

Then Katara was in his arms and she was sobbing and he could feel her shaking, and her arms were wrapped around his stomach and her head was resting on his shoulder – Zuko ignored that his somewhere, something was telling him that this felt _right_ – and he put one hand on her shoulder, and let the other arm hang. It brushed against Katara's hip. He remembered _the dream _and felt his face burn.

'Every time I looked away,' choked out Katara, 'he gets hurt. Now we're stuck in the forest and you're sick and I have no idea where he is or who he's with and – and –' She broke down in sobs again.

Zuko remembered, as a child, how his mother had held him when he cried. Usually because of something Ozai had said – or what he _hadn't_ said. Now that he was in his mother's place, he understood what it felt like. As a human, you were expected to keep yourself in one piece, not to let yourself fall. But for a few moments, at your weakest point, that responsibility was passed onto another.

He realized the sobbing had ceased. Katara stepped back, her face streaked with tears.

'I'm sorry,' she gulped, 'I've so just been worried about Aang …'

_That's true love, isn't it? _Zuko was torn between his concern for Katara at the present moment, and the sudden knowledge that he hadn't thought of Mai _at all_ since Ba Sing Se, and felt extremely guilty.

'It's okay to be worried,' he said, unsure of what else to say.

'Sorry you had to see that,' said Katara, smiling through her tears. 'Thanks for putting up with me.'

And before Zuko knew what was happening, Katara was leaning forward, and then kissed him on the cheek.

Zuko didn't notice her leaving. Because all of a sudden, he wasn't so cold any more …

**Oh, the things grief can do to people ... :)**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

_One week later …_

'How exactly are we going to get from _here_,' Zuko pointed at the ground, 'to _there_?' He pointed towards the sky.

Katara shrugged. Zuko, who had been about to argue with her again, shut his mouth very quickly. Because when Katara had shrugged her shoulder had rubbed against his, and Zuko was all too aware of when Katara came into contact with him these days. He was trying to ignore what this meant.

'It was always easier to get into the Air Temples with a flying bison,' said Katara simply.

'This isn't at all like the Western Air Temple - all I had to do to get there was to slide down on a rope! Why can't this one be the same?' demanded Zuko.

'Well this isn't the Western Air Temple,' said Katara, 'and unless Appa's gone out for a joyride and passes us by, it looks like we're going to have to get to the temple on foot.'

Zuko stared. He couldn't even _see _the Southern Air Temple. Just mountains reaching up and touching the sky – he could even see clouds resting lazily, coiled around the mountains, yet not temple.

'I suppose you could always use your firebending to get the refugees to know that we're here,' said Katara after a moment's pause.

Of course what she was really asking was if he was strong enough to climb the mountain's harsh slopes. There was only so long one person could support another before they both fell.

'I'll be fine,' said Zuko. He looked upwards, towards the sky. It was almost midday. 'We should get going.'

*

It was Zuko who first heard them. They had been walking along the horizontal paths cut across the mountainside together for barely ten minutes, when he suddenly heard a noise coming from the distance – from where they had camped last night, on the outskirts of the forest. It was the sound of screeching birds. Then the air turned sour and Zuko smelt smoke. He swore.

'What is it?' asked Katara, only a few steps ahead of him. But then she smelt the smoke too, and her face twisted into a grimace.

'The Dai Li,' said Zuko grimly. 'They think we're still camping in the forest. They're trying to get us out of there so they're –'

But there was no more need to speak. Already the first flames had appeared. They were only pale gold smudges in the distance now, but Zuko knew it would only be a matter of time before those pale gold smudges turned into towering walls of flames.

'But – the Dai Li aren't firebenders!' protested Katara.

'You don't need to be a firebender to start one,' said Zuko through gritted teeth. Most likely this was a controlled fire – even though he didn't know of any earthbending that allowed earth to quench fire. But if there was a way, the Dai Li would have discovered it.

Katara's eyes widened in understanding, and they both pushed forward.

*

They had spent all day climbing, but when Zuko looked down he could still see the ground. Of course this was his fault. If he hadn't eaten that tree bark and became sick then they would have been able to move faster.

They had to stop that night and sleep on the slopes, mainly because they were both exhausted. Zuko couldn't even start a fire in case the Dai Li saw the glowing and realized he and Katara were already on their way to the Air Temple.

The path that they were on was narrow. Sitting down – let alone sleeping on it – seeped like an impossible task.

Katara sighed. Zuko looked up.

'What is it?' he asked.

'Nothing. I'm just tired.' Katara yawned, before resting her head against the cliff. Just looking at Katara's head resting against the cliff-face made Zuko's neck hurt.

For a several hours Zuko tried stretching out on the ground, but that was incredibly uncomfortable, given the slope of the ground. After that he tried a few more equally uncomfortable sleeping positions, before settling down into exactly the same one as Katara – back against the cliff, looking out towards the sky. The moon was hanging there, round and full.

'Katara?' asked Zuko, an old memory resurfacing.

'What?' she answered, not unkindly. Like him, Katara wasn't even pretending that she was trying to go to sleep.

'Sokka once told me that his first girlfriend turned into the moon.'

'He wasn't lying,' said Katara. Zuko felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. 'Her name was Yue.'

'I think I saw her – just briefly. Was she the girl with white hair?'

'That was her.' Katara sighed.

'What happened?' Too late, Zuko realized that Katara might not feel like talking.

Instead, Katara propped herself up and turned so she was able to look properly at Zuko. 'Zhao killed one of the moon spirits – they were the two koi fish. When Yue was born she was very sick, and the spirits helped heal her by giving her some of their life – not all of it, but enough to make her live. And after the moon spirit died, Yue sort of … just it gave her life back.'

Zuko nodded, not sure what he was supposed to say. Did Katara know that Zhao was dead? He closed his eyes, remembering everything. He shuddered, his mind's eyes seeing that last look on Zhao's face. Arrogant and proud, yet accepting what would happen to him. The last image of a dead man.

_That night Zuko dreamt of a woman with shining white hair standing, fully-clothed, in the pond with the two koi fish swimming in it. And then the two dragons appeared out of the ground and flew around the woman, their movements synchronized exactly with those of the koi fish – and the two eternal dances became one. _

*

Zuko was awoken by the excruciating pain he was feeling in his neck. Sitting up straight and ducking his chin, stretching the stiff muscles in his neck and back, Zuko then looked out towards the forests of Ba Sing Se.

It was gone.

Everything was black. The trees looked like charred skeletons, even from the mountain Zuko could see that the ground was covered with ash. The air was thick with smoke. Zuko was no Avatar – but even he could feel the land crying out for help. There was no harmony and balance here. The Dai Li must know by now that he and Katara hadn't been in the forest when they lit the fires.

Swallowing hard – not that there was much moisture in his throat to begin with – Zuko twisted his head to the side to see if Katara was awake yet. She wasn't – but Zuko was amazed at how much younger Katara looked, without that fierceness burning in her eyes –

_I did what I had to do. Barely any were left._

- and then it struck him just how young they all were. He was only sixteen and the oldest member of the group. Adults were supposedly the responsible ones who knew what was best – yet a teenager was sitting in the Fire Lord's throne, and the Avatar was but a child.

Katara was stirring. Her head was resting on her shoulder – Zuko could tell just from looking that it was going to be painful for her once she was awake.

'Katara …?'

Katara mumbled something incoherent, before her eyes fluttered open and she slowly sat up, rubbing the back of her neck. For a minute her face was completely innocent, unknowing of what had happened. Zuko wasn't sure if her ignorance was a blessing or a curse. Then Katara saw the burnt forest, and Zuko heard her gasp.

There was silence. 'Oh no,' breathed Katara.

Zuko bit down on his lip. 'The Dai Li will spend some of today searching for our bodies. After they don't find any they'll realize where we're headed, but if they're smart – which we know they are – they'll send some agents to scout around here anyway.'

Katara was already on her feet. 'And that means we have to get to the Air Temple as soon as possible,' she said, taking the exact words out of Zuko's mouth.

*

They had just made their way through the first layer of clouds when Zuko's legs buckled – a result from the mixture of days of travel with minimal food and water. All of the smoke he had been breathing while climbing the mountain couldn't have helped, either.

Katara didn't say anything, she stepped backwards so she stood next to Zuko and put one arm around his waist, using her other to put his arm around her neck. And for a brief second their eyes met, and Zuko knew that Katara _understood_.

From then on, every single step that Zuko took was a monumental effort, even with Katara's help. By the end of the day, he was teetering on the edge of the cliff of unconsciousness. And any second now he was going to fall. The edge's of Zuko's vision was blurred. His throat was dry and burning. Was it possible to black out, yet to have your eyes open?

'… Zuko.'

He looked up. The evening was settling in. Then he realized something was wrong. There was no more cliff and mountain to climb. They had made it – they had reached the Northern Air Temple.

**Little-Known Fact:**

**- The Dai Li don't have their cool uniforms any more, because they would be recognized straight away. So annoying ... the uniforms were really cool. Maybe they still wear the uniforms at HQ. I'll have to think about that :)**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**Author's Notes: You know when I said that chapter one was by far the longest I'd written? Well, I lied. It turns out that chapter eight is now the longest - so anybody who toughts it out and reads the whole thing is now a hero in my eyes. Please review.**

They were finally here. It would pretty ironic, in Zuko's opinion, if he died right now. After everything he had gone through to reach the Southern Air Temple, only to have collapsed on its doorstep, or, to be more precise, the air temple courtyard, he thought he should be allowed to live long enough to at least have a walk around and see the sights.

Katara had sat Zuko down on the ground and was crouched next to him, healing him, while they waited for Teo to return with his father.

Katara returned the water to her waterskin, her face grim.

'How bad is it?' croaked Zuko.

'I've managed to get rid of most of the infection,' began Katara, 'but your lungs are still weak from being sick and all that smoke you swallowed while you walked up the mountainside. Usually just a little rest would fix that, but this will be harder for you because of the high altitude – the air's thin up here.'

Zuko tried to remember the main facts: he had weak lungs. This was bad for his health, but would it also affect his firebending? Iroh had always told him that firebending was about breath control. This didn't sound good – _at all_.

Teo returned, his father with him. The first thing Zuko noticed about the man was his half-grown eyebrows – they must have been singed off in a fire, although it looked more like an explosion had hit him in the face.

'Ah, Katara, good to see you!' cried Teo's father warmly. 'I didn't believe my ears when Teo told me that you had appeared – they've so been unreliable ever since that gas explosion! But welcome, welcome!'

Katara's smile was strained. 'It's good to see you both again,' she said. Then she stood up, pulling up with her so they stood side-by-side.

Teo's father's eyes widened as he took in Zuko's face for the first time. It would have been impossible not to recognize him – his scar might as well have been a giant name tag that read 'Fire Lord Zuko'.

'_Fire Lord …?'_ He didn't even finish his sentence. His face was a mask of shock, drained of all colour.

Now it was Zuko's turn to grimace. He didn't have to see a mirror to know that he looked terrible: thin as a skeleton with sunken eyes, matted hair, and bruises and cuts covering his hands and wrists from times had had accidentally bumped into sharp rocks or cut his hands while climbing to the air temple. He hardly looked like the powerful Fire Lord he was supposed to be.

'What happened to _you_?' asked Teo bluntly.

Zuko met Teo's gaze, and held it for a second. _You have no idea, and if you're lucky, you never will. _

'Teo,' Katara commanded the attention of both Teo and his father, 'before you even think about giving Zuko and I shelter here, you must know that the Dai Li are after us. By now they'll have figured out that we're seeking out refuge here, and there's a very good chance they'll attack you and your people to get to us.'

There was silence. The look on the man's face told Zuko everything – the Southern Air Temple did not welcome wanted men.

'You … you have to understand … there are families here. People with children and fathers and mothers … I can't risk their lives like that.' The eyes of Teo's father were pleading, begging to be understood.

_Coward._

For a minute, they stood. Nobody said anything, not daring to speak. Teo's father would not openly refuse Zuko and Katara refuge at the air temple, but his message was clear enough. Finally, Katara nodded. They both turned around and left.

They had begun making their way down the paths again when Zuko heard a voice calling out, the sound of wheels quickly turning on the ground.

'I apologize for what my father said,' said Teo, panting slightly, 'and I want to help. There is a small room at the end of the air temple that has a back entrance and nobody uses it. If you want, you could spend the night there. But … it would be best if you left by morning.' Teo dropped his gaze. Once again, the unspoken message: _their lives mean more to me than yours._

'That would be great, Teo,' said Katara softly.

*

Teo managed to sneak Zuko and Katara into the room using an old corridor that was rarely used. Walking there was almost impossible; the roof of the corridor was low-hanging and covered with spider webs, while the ground was coated in a fine layer of dust, and every few seconds Zuko would have to stop and wait until his coughing fits settled down.

After what felt like forever and a day, they finally arrived at a small wooden door. Katara opened it, and Zuko looked at the steps leading down into the darkness.

'When you said room,' he commented dryly, 'I didn't know you meant cellar.' Katara glared at him.

'I know it's not much, but I figured it would be better than sleeping outside. And _nobody_ will find you here,' said Teo. 'It's pretty dark down there, but I'll come back later with a lamp and some blankets. I'll try to get food as well.'

'Thanks, Teo,' said Katara gratefully. 'You have no idea how much we,' she shot a look at Zuko that said _behave or else_, 'appreciate you doing this for us.'

'Maybe I don't,' said Teo, 'but I do know what it's like when nobody will take you in.'

Zuko firebended a small flame on his palm as a temporary lamp as Katara helped him down the stairs. Once they had safely arrived at the bottom of them, Teo shut the door.

The room that Teo had assigned to them barely qualified as one. As Zuko surveyed the room, letting his flame light it up, he wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. The room was miniscule. Zuko thought he could see actual _straw _on the floor. Because it was underground there were no windows – nothing.

Katara sighed and sat down, cross-legged, on the ground. 'You don't have to keep the flame going,' she said, 'I'm fine with the dark.'

Nevertheless, Zuko kept the flame going. Somehow, it comforted him. Even in the darkest of times – or places, in his case – he could still make light.

*

Half an hour later, there was a tentative knock on the door. Then it slowly creaked open. A young, nervous face – definitely not Teo's – peered down at them.

'Are you Katara and Zuko?' asked the boy nervously.

'That's us,' replied Katara. 'Did Teo send you?'

'I'm Huu,' the boy said. 'Teo couldn't come, so he sent me instead. I have food,' he said, as if that might please them.

'Come on down,' said Katara, 'we're starving.'

Although the two didn't have much in common, Zuko was surprised at how much Huu initially reminded him of Aang. They both had the same lean, angular frame, all elbows and knees – although Aang had grown into his over the last year. He even thought Huu's eyes were grey until the boy entered the flame's light and he realized they were actually dark blue, flecked with green. He had a mop of messy sandy-brown mixed with blond hair, and a freckled face. Huu looked so normal – yet he was a refugee, driven out of his home by the Fire Nation. The nation that Zuko was now the leader of.

'You know,' said Katara as she took the pile of blankets out of Huu's arms, as well as the basket he was carrying, 'I once knew a waterbender named Huu.'

Huu laughed. 'That couldn't be me – I'm an earthbender. The only one here,' he added proudly.

Zuko's primary interest in Huu was now gone, he was too busy eyeballing the food that was in the basket. There was actual bread, and two mangoes! Although it wasn't much, to Zuko it looked like a feast. As well as the blankets and food, Huu had also bought a lamp. Zuko was glad to extinguish his flame, which had been slowly but steadily been tiring him out.

He broke off a piece of bread, forcing himself to chew slowly – not even bothering to try and make conversation. Katara and Huu were happily chatting about earthbending forms when the boy suddenly broke off.

'Is it true that you're the Fire Lord?' he asked Zuko, whose mouth was full of mango at the time.

He swallowed quickly, using his wrist to rub the mango juice off his chin. It stung his cuts. 'Yes.'

'Wow. That must be really cool,' said Huu, 'being Fire Lord must be so awesome.'

'It's harder than you think,' said Zuko quietly.

'Yeah, I suppose,' said Huu, 'there must be lots of people out there who hate your guts.'

Zuko nodded – he too busy wishing that he hadn't eaten so much so quickly. He was worried that his meal might be making a second appearance.

'Oops,' said Huu suddenly, 'I've been here too long. I have to go now. Teo said to tell you both that he'll leave some supplies for you by the door for you in the morning, if he can.'

'Send Teo our thanks,' said Katara, 'and tell him that I'll leave the blankets under the rock by the main temple entrance.'

'Can do,' said Huu over his shoulder as he left the room.

*

'Now what's the plan?' asked Zuko once he was sure that Huu was gone.

'I don't know,' admitted Katara. 'I was depending on Teo and his father to be able to help us contact Aang, but it looks we'll have to come up with another plan.' She took a bite into the mango she was holding.

Zuko just sighed deeply. Why did all of their plans have to fail?

'What's wrong, Sparky?' asked Katara teasingly. 'Thinking about all of the people who hate your guts?'

Zuko forced himself to smile. 'No … just tired,' he said. Then, after a pause: 'Katara?'

'Yes?' asked Katara with a mouthful of mango.

'… Thanks. For helping me.'

Katara's face was now serious. 'I helped you just like anybody would.'

'Not everybody.'

_- You __will__ learn respect. And suffering will be your teacher – _

Katara was spreading the blankets out on the ground. Zuko grabbed one and spread it evenly over the ground, before taking a second. The blankets were thick; Zuko instantly pulled it over him, even though he was still sitting. Katara was doing the same.

The instant Zuko's head hit the ground; he knew that all it would take to make him fall asleep would be to close his eyes.

'Night …' he murmured.

Then there were those cool hands on his back, pulling him over onto his stomach. Then they slid under his shirt, and Zuko saw that familiar silver glow out of the corner of his eye.

'What …?' He was really too tired to question Katara about why she was healing him, now of all places.

'You're going to be sore all over tonight,' said Katara, 'and because you _want_ to go to sleep, you're really going to feel it. This will take away the aching.'

She was right – again. For the first time in what felt like a century, Zuko felt comfortable. Usually wherever he was sleeping was as uncomfortable as the pain his body was in, and he usually just put the agony he was in down to the fact that he was using a rock as a pillow. But now that he was sleeping on a reasonably soft blanket, Zuko could feel the burning pain in legs – overstretch muscles crying for release.

Suddenly there was a flare of pain in his leg. 'Ouch! What was that for?' he cried out, finding the energy to speak.

'Sorry,' she apologized, 'I think I tweaked that the wrong way.'

'What were you trying to do?' he complained.

'Your back is all knotty,' Katara said, 'I was trying to … untangle it?'

Zuko sighed, even thought part of him wanted to laugh. He remembered how soothing Katara's healing had felt the first time she used it – now the sensation had become all too familiar. The glow disappeared from the edge of Zuko's sight, and Katara walked back over to where she had laid out her makeshift bed. She sat down, pulling the top blanket over herself.

Zuko sighed, oddly content. He closed his eyes, preparing to drift off …

*

The universe hated him – that was the only logical explanation. Why else couldn't he get to sleep? He had a roof over his head, a full stomach, and a comfortable-ish bed to sleep on. _So why couldn't he get to sleep? _

They were at the Southern Air Temple, in a mountain range that technically belonged to the Earth Kingdom.

They needed to be in the Fire Nation - now.

Zuko had no idea where Aang was, or even if he was still –_ No. Don't even think about that._

A power-mad organization was hunting him down at this very moment.

And –

'Zuko!' hissed Katara. 'Can you _please_ stay still?'

_Tell the truth. Lie. Tell the truth. Lie. Tell the truth. _'I can't get to sleep,' said Zuko, wondering if it was possible for him so sound any more childish.

'Come over here,' said Katara, reaching out for the dim lamp and pulling it towards her so that it flickered weakly on her face.

'Why?' said Zuko, who didn't really feel like moving.

'My mother had a story that she would tell me when I was little and couldn't sleep.'

'In order to get the full effect of this magical, sleep-inducing story of yours, do I really have to move?'

'Yes,' said Katara firmly.

Zuko muttered under his breath, but slowly made his way across the cellar floor, on his hands and knees, pulling his blankets with him.

'This story better be pretty good,' he grumbled, sitting next to Katara.

'Get on your stomach,' she said.

'I feel ridiculous.'

Zuko rolled over. Then two cool fingertips were resting lightly at the base of Zuko's neck. He felt his cheeks flush hot.

'Once upon a time,' she began, 'there were two little waterbenders who lived at the North Pole. But they grew lonely, and decided to visit their sister tribe.' Then the two fingers walked their way down Zuko's spine. 'It was a long, difficult journey. The little waterbenders stopped at Ba Sing Se,' the fingers paused, then continued, 'the little waterbenders stopped at Omashu,' again the fingers paused, then continued, 'and although both the Earth Kingdom cities were beautiful, the little waterbenders always left quickly, because they couldn't wait to reach the South Pole.' The fingers continued walking slowly, steadily, until finally they reached the end of Zuko's spine. 'And finally,' concluded Katara, 'after months and months of walking and walking, the two little waterbenders arrived at the South Pole. And the first people they saw there was _another_ little waterbender, named Katara, and her big brother, Sokka. The end.'

Zuko wasn't sure what to say. The story was fine, in his opinion, although a little repetitive at times. But if the story came from Kya, then it would mean a lot to Katara.

'You really remember the whole thing word for word,' he commented.

'The ending always changed, depending on how I was feeling at the time,' said Katara. 'Sometimes it would end with Sokka and I and the two little waterbenders going to travel the world together. Other times the two little waterbenders taught me everything they knew.'

'Why do they have to be _little_ waterbenders?' asked Zuko. 'Why so vertically challenged?'

Katara laughed. 'I don't know. That was the way Mom always told it.'

'Well, it's a good story, but I'd be lying if I said I was asleep.'

Katara yawned pointedly, before rolling over onto her side – her back towards Zuko. Several minutes passed, and Katara's breathing became steadier and deeper.

'…Katara?'

Silence.

Katara had been telling _him_ the 'get to sleep' story, yet she was now the one happily dreaming away.

Ironic, huh?

**Extra Note: **

**- The character Huu is based off my real-life brother, Hugh. I asked him if he wanted to make an appearance in Dawn Approaches, and he said yes. Now whenever he annoys me, I threaten to kill him off :)**

**- Kya's story is 100% my own.  
**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

Zuko was aware of the warmth of Katara's body beside his. Part of him was exhausted and tired and just wanted to go to sleep, the other half wanted to stay next to Katara, because being next to her felt –

_Stop it. You have Mai._

- completely right.

_Shut up. You're tired. You don't know what you're thinking._

Katara moved in her sleep – he wondered what she was dreaming about – and suddenly her arm was against his. Zuko was all too aware of the warm of her arm.

_You called Teo's father a coward. You're being one. So admit it. You – _

Why was his mind so awake when the rest of him was so tired? Zuko pressed his face down into the blankets, as if trying to smother his thoughts.

*

Zuko opened his eyes, blinking. He must have fallen asleep after all. Something was wrong – everything was pitch black. Of course it would be, down in the cellar. The lamp would have run out of oil during the night. Sighing, Zuko firebended a small flame on his palm, surveying the room. Not much had changed.

He felt Katara stir beside him. _Beside_ him. Beside _him_.

'…Zuko…?'

'I'm here,' he said, turning around to face her. God she looked beautiful – even with bed hair. _What's with you?_

'Oh, okay.' Katara reached up and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it away from her face. Then she looked up. 'Is there any food left?'

'There's some bread. But I'd have to actually move to go and get it.'

Katara laughed softly, her eyes lighting up. Then Zuko realized.

They were only centimeters away from each other, in a cellar.

Technically, they had slept together last night – only not _that_ way.

Since waking, neither of them had made any effort to move away from the other.

_Get used to it, Zuzu. You're in love._

*

They had just finished packing when Zuko heard the steady pitter-patter that signified that a steady storm was setting in.

'Maybe Toph should have called me Jinx instead of Sparky,' he said gloomily. Zuko hated the rain; there was something about storms – something in the air – that made his scar sting.

'Don't be like that;' said Katara from where she was stacking their blankets, across the room, 'you need some perspective: take a bite out of the silver sandwich!'

Zuko groaned – the next time he saw Sokka he would …

He was about to retort where there was a hesitant knock at the door. Huu stuck his dark blond head around the door.

'It's me again,' he said, 'Teo was too busy to come. But I've got some food. And a message from Teo.'

He walked down the stairs and handed a small parcel to Katara.

'Thank-you, Huu,' said Katara, taking the parcel. 'Now what was it that Teo wanted to tell us?'

'He wants to meet with you guys before you leave, but he'll be busy until midday. He wants to know if you don't mind waiting until then, when I'll come and collect you two and you can meet in the courtyard, since his wheelchair won't come down the stairs.'

Zuko tried to keep the surprise from showing on his face. Yesterday, Teo had made it pretty clear that the sooner he and Katara were gone, the better.

'Well … I suppose we could wait, if that's what Teo really wants,' said Katara, a little uncertainly. 'We do owe him a lot.' She quickly looked sideways at Zuko. She was asking him what he wanted to do.

'We won't mind waiting,' he said.

'I'll pass it on to Teo,' said Huu, 'and like I said, I'll come down and collect you around midday.'

Huu left the cellar. For several minutes, there was silence.

'That was … unexpected,' said Katara, breaking the quiet.

Zuko nodded.

'I wonder what Teo wants to say …' Katara mused aloud.

Again, Zuko said nothing. _What was he supposed to do in the cellar until noon?_

*

As it turned out, Zuko spent a good deal of the morning sleeping, only moving when he wanted to readjust his position, or to take a bite of the food that Huu had left them. The times that he was awake, he was too drowsy to really notice what Katara was doing. Perhaps she was sleeping too.

*

Zuko groaned, stirring. He had been falling in and out of sleep for what felt like an eternity, his dreams becoming nothing more than blurry, jumbled thoughts and flashes of colour.

He sighed deeply, trying to ignore the sound of the rain falling onto the ground. He was drifting back when – again, there was the feeling of his shoulders being roughly shaken. He opened his eyes – surprised to see that Katara's blue ones were looking down into his.

'What is it?' he mumbled, sitting up.

'Something isn't right,' said Katara. 'It's almost midday and Huu hasn't arrived yet.'

Straight away, Zuko stood up. Everything went blurry for a few seconds, but he didn't have time for that. He grabbed Katara's arm.

'Did you hear anything?' he demanded. _Conspiracy. Dai Li. Traitors at the Northern Air Temple. _

'It was raining too hard for me to really hear anything,' said Katara.

'Maybe he's just running late,' said Zuko. But he didn't believe himself.

'We should probably leave,' said Katara slowly. Of course she didn't want to believe that Teo really had betrayed them. But there were times when you had to obey your head and not your heart.

Zuko thought. Katara was right, they had to leave the Northern Air Temple – if he was correct and there _was_ a conspiracy, they needed to put as much ground between themselves and the air temple as possible.

'Where will we go?' he asked.

Katara looked up. Her eyes were glistening with tears. Just because you were thinking with your head, it didn't mean you had stopped listening to your heart.

'We agreed to meet at the Sun Warrior ruins,' said Katara – the slight tremble in her voice revealing her true emotions.

They were in the Earth Kingdom. The Sun Warrior ruins were in the Fire Nation. It had taken them weeks to travel from Ba Sing Se to the Northern Air Temple – two locations that were relatively close together. Now they had to make it into another nation. You do the math.

Zuko sighed, rubbing his temples. Getting to the Sun Warrior ruins would be next to impossible – no, more than that. His lungs were still weak. Such a journey would take months … at least, for the _two_ of them.

Zuko's throat closed up. Because he knew what he now had to do. 'Katara, you …'

'No!' Katara said the single word with so much force that for an instant Zuko thought that she was furious with him. But then he saw her eyes were wide, pupils dilated with fear. For him.

Zuko honestly thought that his heart was breaking.

'I am _not _leaving you!'

'It's the only –'

'_No!' _

Silence. Katara's voice had betrayed her. This was beyond the selfless, maternal instincts that drove her to protect Aang. There was desperation in her voice. She was being selfish, even though it was more logical for her to leave him behind – they both knew it.

_No. You're wrong. Katara has never thought about you in that way, and never will. So stop – _

Without realizing, they had both stepped forward, closer to each other. Zuko's heart was pounding.

'You don't seem as eager to get rid of me as you did a year ago,' he murmured.

Katara nodded once. Although her face was angled downwards, her eyes were staring into his, a faint blush on her cheeks. Zuko took another step forward. They were so close that he was beginning to feel dizzy. He leant forward –

And then several things happened at once.

The door crashed open.

They broke apart and spun around at exactly the same time.

Zuko didn't believe his good eye.

Iroh, Dragon of the West, was standing in the doorway.

'Nephew!'

**Notes:**

**- The Tea Man lives!**

**- I felt so mean and evil leaving Iroh stuck in Ba Sing Se, having no idea where everbody had gone, with the possibility of being arrested by the Dai Li that I had no choice but to plot his great return.**

**- And I'm sorry to all those people who fansquealed at the 'almost-kiss' - as well as the friends, family, and various pets whose hearing was injured during the fansqueal.**

**- Is anybody still reading this? If so, please R&R! I really want to know what people think of Dawn Approaches. **


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

Zuko staggered back several steps under the weight of Iroh's embrace.

'What are you doing here?' His voice was muffled. 'You're meant to be in-' Zuko stopped. What was the point of even trying to talk to Uncle? He looked across the room at Katara. She was smiling.

Iroh stepped back. 'Well, your friend wasn't lying when he said you needed to put on some weight, but we'll soon fix that!'

Katara stepped forward. 'Is Huu with you?' she asked.

'Miss Katara, it is a pleasure to see you again! And sadly, no, your friend the earthbender could not join us today.'

'How did you get here?' asked Zuko. 'Did Teo contact you?'

'Oh please,' said Iroh, sounding mildly insulted, 'I've been following you ever since the Dai Li attacked you. It didn't take much thinking to figure out where you'd be headed. I was only several of days behind you – I had to tidy up affairs at the Jasmine Dragon before I left.'

Zuko literally had millions of questions he wanted to ask his uncle. What was happening in the Fire Nation, to his father, to Azula, to Mai? But instead an inquiry about what had happened That Night was needed.

'Uncle, why didn't anybody hear what was happening and investigate when the Dai Li were fighting us?'

Although Zuko didn't believe it was possible for a person's eyes to change colour, there was no denying that Iroh's darkened. He sighed, his age seemingly catching up with him in a matter of seconds.

'I do suppose and explanation is in order – you both might want to sit down. This will take a while.'

Both Zuko and Katara obliged.

'The Dai Li are not just the protector's of Ba Sing Se's cultural heritage. The agents in Ba Sing Se are only a small fraction of their true number – the Dai Li have enormous numbers in every nation, often under numerous names so as not to arouse public suspicion.' Iroh lowered his gaze. 'It seems that the Dai Li are more ambitious than even Fire Lord Sozin himself. To be blunt, Nephew, the Dai Li want power – and will destroy anything and anyone who gets in their way.'

_But why? _Zuko wished he knew the answer. Uncle probably knew – but Zuko knew from experience that Iroh would only reply in confusing proverbs.

Iroh continued. 'The day you went to speak to me in the Jasmine Dragon was a normal one – nothing out of the ordinary. Yet that night I was awoken by the sounds of a tremendous battle. I instantly thought of the Avatar – the war may be gone, but his enemies haven't. Zuko,' Iroh's voice became almost pleading, 'you _must_ understand this: the Dai Li have numbers that we never could have imagined! Nephew … I – I chose not to assist you and your friends that night.'

Zuko was speechless. Iroh was the closest thing he had ever had to a real father. He had gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect his nephew. For years, Iroh had been the only person that Zuko had trusted – and even then it had wavered at times. (It was hard to have faith in a man who spoke in proverbs half the time.)

'Nephew, the Dai Li were everywhere. And you must know; people did try to investigate. But the minute they stepped out their doors, they were killed. Just like that – it didn't matter if it was a mother, a father, a child who thought she was imaging the noises outside. Eventually they stopped leaving their houses.'

Zuko heard Katara gasp, saw her hand cover her mouth in shock. He kept his face blank.

'That night, my heart told me to go and fight with you. But my head told me that I must stay, blend in, and, in the situation arose that you were captured, find you and bust you out.' A small flame of spirit arose in Iroh's voice.

'Zuko, your uncle is right,' said Katara. She must have mistaken the emotionless mask on his face as that of shock. 'There were so many of them, one more fighter wouldn't have helped at all.' She turned to look at Iroh. 'Our original plan was for Toph and me to go with Aang on Appa, and for Zuko, Sokka and Suki to leave Ba Sing Se on foot.'

He stretched his mouth up into something that he hoped resembled a smile. 'I understand,' he said, hoping he sounded genuine enough for Katara not to worry.

Iroh's face softened into a smile. 'Forgiveness is a gift floating on a breeze. Take it before it flies away.'

Zuko groaned. 'So, what were you telling us about the Dai Li? Why didn't they arrest you in Ba Sing Se after we escaped?'

Iroh smiled craftily, instead looking at Katara. 'You may or may not know this, Miss Katara, but I happen to be a rather accomplished actor. In a matter of minutes the Dai Li agents sent to arrest me were convinced I was a half-wit.' Iroh chortled. Zuko shifted uncomfortably. Katara smiled knowingly.

'So what's the plan?' asked Katara, breaking the somewhat awkward silence.

'What do you think it is?'

Katara thought. 'We need Aang, Toph, Sokka and Suki. We need Zuko on the throne and you by his side. We need to end the Dai Li.' Zuko was surprised by how firm her voice was.

'Very good, Miss Katara,' said Iroh, sounding pleased. 'Contacting the Avatar –'

'It's Aang.' Katara's voice broke into the middle of Iroh's. She dropped her gaze. 'He would want you to call him Aang.'

'Very well. Contacting _Aang_ and his friends is of the greatest importance and …'

But Zuko wasn't listening – he couldn't. He could feel a dull pain thudding in his chest, and he was pretty sure it was his heart breaking.

*

Days passed. Somehow Zuko managed to put life into the empty shell that was his body and tell himself that everything was okay. But of course, it wasn't.

Katara loved Aang, and he loved her back.

_You sure know how to pick them, don't you, Zuzu? _

But he loved Katara. He didn't know why he did; he didn't know how to stop it. Every time he saw her, there was a hot stab in his chest. Every time they spoke, Zuko had to remind himself how to shape words on his lips.

Was it possible to die from a broken heart?

*

Zuko had been pretending to sleep for most of the day. He had told Katara that he didn't feel too well. She and Iroh had been planning and plotting all day, but he hadn't been paying much attention. Zuko had almost drifted off to sleep when Iroh spoke to him.

'Nephew.'

He stirred, and then sat up, back against the cellar wall.

'As Miss Katara said earlier, it is crucial that we contact the Ava … Aang and his friends. We have decided to travel to the Sun Warrior ruins together and bring them back to the Northern Air Temple, since you are in no condition to travel.'

Zuko knew what was coming next.

'So … we have decided that you should stay here until we return. Teo will be able to keep an eye on you.'

All of a sudden, Zuko hated himself for being so weak, for having to stay behind for his own safety – for their safety. He was holding them back. As much as he wanted to tell Iroh and Katara that he would be fine to travel with them, he knew he would be lying. He despised his weakness – but there was no choice.

'I understand,' he said in a low voice.

Then there was a hand resting lightly on his arm – and Zuko instantly knew who it belonged too. Katara's blue eyes were gazing into his own. Zuko felt as if his stomach was being turned inside out, but in a good way.

'I'll come back for you,' she said.

Zuko nodded, but then looked away. Katara squeezed his arm, and looked at him from an angle that made it impossible for him not to look back.

'I _will_. We all will. You don't have to worry about your uncle – I can heal him if, and that's a very slim if, he gets hurt.'

Zuko glanced at Iroh. His uncle seemed to have dozed off in a matter of seconds.

'I'll be waiting for you,' he said, 'you know I will.' She would never know what he truly meant – never read the message between the lines.

Katara smiled. 'Don't get blown up while we're away, okay?'

Zuko promised not to. 'When are you leaving?'

Katara's face fell. 'Tonight.'

Without thinking, Zuko turned away from Katara. It wasn't that he was rejecting her, or trying to push her away. It had always been his nature to run from a problem, and now he was trying to run away from the fact that the girl he loved was leaving today.

He didn't expect Katara to understand. He expected her to be hurt and angry – he almost expected another water whip in his face.

What Zuko didn't expect was for arms to wrap around his shoulders, turn him around. He didn't expect to rest his head on Katara's shoulder and sigh, he didn't expect for Katara to rest her chin on his head.

He didn't expect that embrace to last as long as it did.

And even after Katara and Iroh had left, Zuko kept replaying the scene over and over in his head, trying to figure out if he had imagined the words that had been whispered into his ear in a voice that was all too familiar.

_I'll be waiting for you too. That's something we have in common. _

**Notes:  
****A few chapters back, I mentioned the idea of starting a companion fanfic to Dawn Approaches - about what happens to Aang, Sokka, Suki and Toph on their journey into the Fire Nation. You should be pleased to hear that I've started it. It's called _Midnight Reigns _and I may or may not be posting the prologue soon-ish. (It all depends on how much e****nthusiasm **my fans show. Because I'm not above abusing my power like that. Hee-hee!)

**I'm still trying to put together a solid plot for _Midnight Reigns_ - a lot of it will depend on how Dawn Approaches ends, so I may wait until I've finished DA before I actually get right into it.**

**Anyways, I thought you would all be interested in my update.**

**Happy reading! *ugh, sounds so corny ... exiles self***


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

After spending days living in a cellar that had straw in it Zuko was beginning to get used to living in darkness. When he could spare it, Huu would occasionally refill the lamp and bring it down for Zuko to use, but most of the time he had to rely on his firebending to be his only source of light.

Zuko tried meditating to pass the time – but it was hard without the candles. Instead, Zuko spent a lot of time thinking about Katara and Uncle, often until his thoughts become fast and jumbled. Where would they be by now? Were they okay? Had the Dai Li found them? How had they managed to get out of the Northern Air Temple and down the mountainside? There were so many things that they hadn't told him – but whose safety was his ignorance for?

Every day, Huu would come to visit Zuko. Nearly every time he had food – often in small serves so nobody would notice that they were missing. Usually it was dried fruits; meat was a luxury in the mountains.

While Zuko ate, Huu often sat with him and talked and asked questions. What was it like in the Fire Nation? Was it true that there was a girl who had invented metalbending? What was being Fire Lord Like?

Zuko could answer all of these questions with ease. Dry and hot. Yes. No clue.

But he was completely unprepared when Huu came to him five days after Iroh and Katara had left, asking for advice on girls.

'Her name's Asuka,' he said sadly, 'and she doesn't know that I even exist.'

'Well …' Zuko shifted uncomfortably, 'maybe you could … do so something nice for her?'

Huu looked up hopefully. 'That's a great idea – but what do girls like?'

Zuko had to re-run Huu's sentence through his head several times before he realized what he was saying – Huu had the tendency to say all of his words in one rushed breath when he was excited.

He thought. What did Mai like?

Two things came to mind: complaining about being bored, and fruit tarts.

Then Zuko looked at it from a different perspective. What did _Katara_ like? Zuko smiled because he didn't know where to begin.

'Maybe you should just talk to her,' he said. 'Just tell Asuka that you've always thought she was interesting and you wanted to be friends with her.'

'But – but how?' Huu's eyes were wide and nervous. 'I can't just walk up to her, she's the most beautiful girl ever, and I'll look completely stupid!'

Zuko felt the corners of his mouth tugging upwards, as if pulled by invisible strings, but stopped himself. One smile per day was enough.

'Love isn't stupid,' he said, 'but the people who ignore it are.'

*

More days passed. After his advice, Huu didn't stay as long as he used to. It turned out that Zuko's advice had actually done the trick, and Huu and Asuka were talking on a regular basis. He was thinking of asking her out, but there weren't many places to go where it would be romantic. Or private. Or anything in particular.

On the tenth day, Zuko decided that he wanted to start firebending again – he had an uneasy feeling in his stomach that told him he would need it soon. When Huu came to visit him that day, he asked if it would be possible for him to go to a larger room and practice. At first Huu was uncertain, but Zuko managed to bribe Huu by offering to help him out with his earthbending training by sparring with him. He could literally see the kid's eyes light up. Poor kid – it must be hard to learn earthbending when you were the only one in an air temple in the mountains.

*

At least this time, Zuko was in an actual room – even though it was the middle of the night. But he didn't care; he was too busy trying to keep his meal in his stomach. The room was perfect for practicing firebending, there was more than enough space, as well as several crumbling pillars, as well as fading murals on the walls.

_What if my firebending disappears again? Where do I go? What if it never comes back? What then? You have your swords, but it's not the same …_

Of course Katara would know what to say to calm him down, that was given. But all Zuko had right now was an empty room and an eleven year-old earthbender.

He decided to start off with something simple: the fire daggers. Taking a deep breath, Zuko steadied himself, trying to keep his mind empty. Never before had he really had to question his ability to create fire, but now it was almost as if he had to start from the very beginning. Firebending had always come naturally to Zuko; now that he had to focus on how to actually bend in it he couldn't seem to find that _one_ part of him that –

_Breathe. In and out. You've done this before and you can do this again._

Zuko couldn't help it – he smiled. Because as Uncle had once said, 'once a firebender, always a firebender.'

The light of the fire dagger's flames reflected in Huu's eyes, making them grow wide.

'Come on,' he said to Huu, turning his hands so his palms faced upward, a small sphere of golden light now burning above them, 'let's get started. Show me what you've got.'

Huu said nothing. Zuko noticed that the boy had become very rigid and still, his green-blue eyes nervously darting from side to side of the room. As if he was looking for an exit. As if he were about to run. By the time Zuko heard the footsteps, it was too late. He glanced at Huu – the boy was torn. He could almost hear the debate in the boy's head over flight or fight. But there wasn't enough time for Huu to decide.

'Well, well, well, what do we have here?' said a female voice that Zuko did not recognize. He looked up.

A figure was standing in the doorway, her body half-shadowed. There were several others standing with her, but Zuko could barely see their faces.

'Huu?' said another voice. This one was young and scared. She had probably been wondering what the lights were for.

Huu looked up suddenly. 'Oh no,' he breathed, 'Asuka …'

Asuka stepped into the room and a weak beam of moonlight from one of the windows shone down on her. All Zuko could really make out was long, light-brown hair, and wide eyes so brown they were almost black.

'Huu, who is this? What's happening?' Asuka's voice was high and shrill. 'Why was there fire in here before? Who is he?'

Until then, Zuko had been standing with the right side of his face facing Asuka and the two others, and they hadn't been able to see his scar. Now Zuko turned so that he faced the group, reaching up with one hand to touch his scar, using the other one to pull his hair up, away from his face.

'Does this help?' he asked.

The first woman gasped. 'Fire Lord …!'

Zuko nodded grimly, his jaw set. 'I suppose that you want to take me to see Teo's father now, wouldn't you?'

There was a sudden tugging sensation, and Zuko felt his wrists being pulled behind his back – earth-cuffs. There was only one earthbender at the Northern Air Temple. He twisted his head around to look at Huu – the boy's forehead was creased with concentration. Their eyes met for a second, although Huu quickly looked away. Huu's mouth shaped the words 'I'm sorry'.

The first woman walked over to Zuko, looking him square in the eyes.

'I don't know what you're doing here, Fire Lord Zuko,' she said, 'but I'm sure that we'll soon find out.'

The woman placed one hand on Zuko's back and pushed roughly. He staggered forward several steps, but quickly regained his balance.

'Hurry up,' she snarled, 'I'm sure that the mechanist is going to be very interested when he hears that the Fire Lord has been staying here.'

As Zuko was taken through the Northern Air Temple he could see more and more faces peering curiously at his, more and more judgmental eyes. Out of the corner of his good eye, he could see that Huu and Asuka were walking side by side.

The small group stopped in front of a closed door. The woman knocked on it. It opened. The bleary face of Teo's father appeared before his. Then recognition dawned on Teo's father's face, and it hardened, the mouth twisting into a grimace.

'It turns out that you were right,' said Teo's father over his shoulder.

And then Dai Li agent appeared, standing next to Teo's father, and all of a sudden Zuko was very sure that the world was collapsing around him.

**Notes:**

**- The name of the woman that Zuko first sees is Sachi. I wasn't sure if I would be able to fit that in anywhere.**

**- Just to clarify, the real Hugh doesn't like a girl named Asuka.**

**- Asuka is Japanese for _tomorrow_ _fragrance_. **

**- And if anybody has a proper name that I could use for The Mechanist, I would really appreciate that :)**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

'_Where is the girl?'_

Something hard slammed into Zuko's side. He gasped in pain, but there was barely time to react before another well-placed kick thumped into his stomach – and he coughed up blood.

'_Where did she go?' _

For a few seconds all Zuko could see were red dots dancing across his vision. He bit down on his tongue to stop himself from crying out as the Dai Li agent stood on his arm for several seconds, snapping the bone.

He didn't know how long the Dai Li had been keeping him in the cellar. All he really knew was that his throat was so dry he could barely swallow – only to cough up more blood – and he was so hungry his stomach was literally turning itself inside out.

'Your friend sure if pretty,' taunted the second agent, 'who knows what we might do when we catch up with her?'

'Don't – hurt – her!' choked out Zuko just as another kick slammed into his side.

'_Tell us where she is!' _

Zuko didn't answer. For several seconds, there was silence. The first agent – the one questioning him – knelt down so he was facing Zuko. He grabbed his chin, forcing their eyes to meet.

'Fire Lord Zuko,' he said in a quiet voice, 'we know that you're sick. You've been here for over a week and there's only so much time you have left.' He smiled, baring his teeth. 'So I suggest that if you value your life you _will _tell us what happened to the Water Tribe girl.'

Zuko stayed silent. No matter how many threats the Dai Li agent made, they were empty words – they wouldn't kill him. They would let him live, but barely. And no matter how many times they broke his bones or had him retching blood on the cellar floor, he wasn't going to tell them where Katara, and everybody else, was. Of course the Dai Li had been infuriated when their earthbending proved that Zuko wasn't lying when he said he didn't know – because he actually had no clue of the whereabouts of Katara and Iroh. Of course, he had a general idea, but the Dai Li tended to be very specific with their questioning. There was not time for Zuko to be vague, which suited him just fine.

Of course, it would also help if the daily 'interrogation' sessions ceased.

Once upon a time, when Zuko had been young – he must have been extremely young because this particular memory included Lu Ten – he remembered sitting with Uncle Iroh and his cousin. Azula had killed one of the turtle-ducks, a particular favourite of his that he had named Doho. Iroh had told his nephew to, instead of focusing on the pain, think nice thoughts about Doho, instead of his burnt body.

_Standing in the icy water, Katara kissing him on the cheek. _

_Hugging her in the cellar. Sitting together and not moving because all they had to hold on to was each other._

There was the sound of footsteps fading, and Zuko felt relief wash over him. Then the pain washed over him like a wave of water and he groaned. His stomach was burning, and the arm that had been broken was throbbing so hard it seemed to have a pulse of its own.

Zuko wondered about what had happened to Huu. Had he managed to convince Asuka that he was the good guy? He'd had a hard enough time convincing Teo's father that he wasn't trying to sabotage the refugee's home. He had still been talking with Teo's father when the Dai Li had dragged Zuko back into the cellar.

He hadn't seen the light of day since.

_Where was Katara?_

*

Zuko stirred. Despite the great effort it took, he reached up and felt the side of his face – the unscarred side. He shuddered inwardly when his fingertips brushed against something rough and hard that could only be dry blood. He thought back, and involuntarily groaned when the memories rushed forward.

It had been by far the worst 'interrogation' ever. This time the Dai Li had showed not even the smallest amount of mercy – they had really set out to kill him. He could remember his hands being pulled above his head in earth-cuffs, struggling against them as the Dai Li broke his ribs, one by one, with exactly the same deadly, practiced precision as Azula. Then there had been the punches, the blows. His skin would be black and blue by now. He must have passed out around then.

By now Zuko had well and truly lost track of time. There was no light in the cellar; he had no idea if it was night or day, or how long he had blacked out for.

*

'_Where is my mother?'_

_Ozai's face twisted into a mocking grin. 'So the little Fire Lord wants to find his long-lost mommy?' The man laughed coldly._

'_You know where she is! Where is she?' Zuko felt rage burn in him, burning like an open flame._

'_You had the most powerful man in the world for your father, the Fire Lord. But no, I am not enough for you. Instead you seek out a banished princess!'_

'_You are only my father by blood,' spat Zuko, now seething. How could Ozai care so little for his wife? _

*

Zuko had been coughing up blood for a solid minute without stopping. His sides were shaking from the effort. The Dai Li agent watched from the base of the stairs, amused. In his hand he had a small whip.

The coughing subsided, and Zuko collapsed on the ground, too exhausted to move. The agent stepped forward. This was it – he was really going to die.

Then the door crashed open. Although the effect was still very surprising in itself, part of Zuko had to admit that it wasn't as dramatic as the first time round.

But the lost drama was quickly made up by the fact that a girl of small stature, clothed in green, long black hair tied up in a bun, was standing in the doorway.

'Get out of the way, Sparky,' said Toph coolly, 'things are going to get pretty messy.'

In the darkness of the cell, Zuko wasn't able to see too much. But he heard plenty.

'_You __**slimeball**__!' _

Crash.

'_I'll wipe that smile right off of your face!'_

Smash.

'_You take one step closer, Rock-boy, and I'll knock your head off and into the Fire Nation!' _

Bam.

'_YOU HURT MY FRIEND!'_

Zuko's head was spinning from all of the noise. By the time Toph was finished with the agent, now a moaning shape on the ground, he had managed to find his tongue again.

'What's happening?' he asked. 'Why are you here? Where's –'

'We're raiding the air temple. To save you. Aang and the rest are on their way.'

He should have been elated. He should have been pleased. But instead, all Zuko felt was an overwhelming sense of numb. Because he knew what he was going to have to do.

'Toph, you can tell when people are lying, right?'

She nodded once.

'Now …' Zuko swallowed, 'now when Aang and everyone else come in and see me, I'm going to have to lie to them. And I'm asking you not to tell them, for their own good.'

'What are you going to say?' Toph's voice was suspicious.

Zuko took a deep breath. 'I'm going to tell them that my injuries are only superficial. I'm going to tell them that I'll be okay.'

**Notes:**

**- No Toko was intended, Toph's just being her 'friendly' self.**

**- Originally it was going to be Aang who found Zuko in the cellar. But for reasons which shall be explained later, that was impossible.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**Notes: Thanks again for all the reviews, I really appreciate them :)**

Silence.

'I wasn't sure if I'd actually found you when I went into the cellar,' said Toph in a small voice, 'your heartbeat was so different … so weak. They really did hurt you, didn't they?'

That particular question didn't really require an answer. 'Toph, please don't tell them. Katara's going to be busy fighting – how do you plan to get us out of here anyway? – and she won't have time to see to me. Healing everything I've got will take too long.'

Toph sighed. 'Fine, I promise. But I'm doing this for Aang. And, by the way, _we're_ not the ones leaving the air temple. The Dai Li are.'

Zuko's palm hit his face. 'Toph, there's hundreds of Dai Li out there, maybe even a thousand. I don't think that three benders, even if one _is_ the Avatar, can take out almost a thousand earthbending masters all on their own.'

Toph snorted, clearly unimpressed. 'I thought you had more imagination than that, Sparky. Think outside the box. Everyone's here – Antsy Pants, his girlfriend, Circus Girl, Mai. You don't have to be a bender to be able to fight them.' Toph was smiling.

Then the cellar door was once again flung open, by now losing all of its dramatic effect, and Zuko found himself staring at Sokka, Suki, and Aang. Each of them had their respective weapon drawn: sword, fans, and staff.

'Zuko!' cried Aang delightedly. He ran down the staircase with an airbender's speed, skidding to a stop in front of him. Then his face fell. With the cellar door open, light was on Zuko's face. The bruises, cuts, and dried blood were only too noticeable. 'What … what happened?' the boy's voice was shaking.

'The Dai Li happened,' said Zuko.

'You're covered in blood!'

'It's nothing. I'm a heavy bleeder.'

'Do you want me to get Katara?'

'No,' said Zuko quickly. 'Toph's told me all about this crazy plan of yours and you'll need every able bender out there fighting, which excludes me.'

'Oh yeah, we also met Quick before,' interjected Toph. 'He says he knows you. He's gonna be fighting with Aang and me.'

Zuko suppressed a smile. _Quick_ – obviously Toph had heard Huu talk. But there wasn't time for smiling; he needed to know what was happening. He asked, and Sokka answered.

'Of course we weren't going to let you rot in prison,' he began.

_Thank spirits for that, _thought Zuko sarcastically.

'So I devised the perfect plan: Operation Rescue Fire-boy.'

It was at times like this that Zuko wished he could raise one eyebrow. It would add to his whole clearly unimpressed look. But Sokka didn't care – he went right on with Operation Rescue Fire-boy. Zuko had a sinking feeling stomach that told him that if he was lucky enough to survive all of this, he would never live down Operation Rescue Fire-boy.

'You see, we knew that rescuing you would be impossible for any group – unless they had the Avatar! But what were we to do with the Dai Li? We could just grab you and fly away, but are people living here.' Sokka paused for dramatic effect, and then continued. 'So we decided to –'

'Cut to the crap, Antsy Pants,' said Toph.

A disgruntled Sokka pulled a face – he had clearly been enjoying his time in the limelight. 'Hey, I'm telling him, so just –'

'Well would you just hurry up? We're already behind schedule and you're taking more time than Appa's –'

Aang sighed, and glanced apologetically at Zuko. 'Guys, cut it out!'

Everybody jumped – Zuko included.

'Okay, here's what's happening. We're going to drive the Dai Li out of the Northern Air Temple and put you on the Fire Nation throne. Get it?'

Zuko nodded.

'And it's not just us who's here,' continued Aang, 'your Uncle Iroh knows a lot of people. We have the Order of the White Lotus with us as well – Bumi, Jeong Jeong, Pakku, Piando, everyone!'

'As well as The Boulder,' said Toph.

'And the Kyoshi Warriors,' added Suki.

'What – all here now?' asked Zuko. Where would they be – since the Dai Li had taken 'residence' at the Northern Air Temple, it was likely that they would be everywhere. After all, they did have a very high-profile prisoner.

'Almost everyone is,' said Sokka, 'thanks to Toph's earthbending; we've set up an underground base under the Ba Sing Se forests, as well as a few rooms under the mountain range. We're still waiting for the Yu Yan archers to arrive.'

Zuko almost choked on the air he was breathing, if that was possible. 'Wh-what?' he spluttered.

Toph shrugged innocently. 'It's amazing what people will agree to do for you when you stick a rock against their head and a sack of gold coins in their hands.' She grinned.

Zuko tried to think clearly. Everything was happening so suddenly. 'When's this … invasion of yours going to start?'

'Well, the Yu Yan said they would have arrived by this morning so we could attack at midday, but we've decided to give them until sunset today, and attack at sunrise tomorrow,' said Aang, ' and everybody else – Katara, Mai, Ty Lee – are waiting for them at the base.'

'Okay. Tomorrow at sunrise. Since I'm in no position to fight, what do I do?'

'You stay in the cellar and wait until this is all over,' said Suki. 'I'll be assigning several Kyoshi Warriors to guard you. Afterwards, we'll all go back to the base and you can have a healing session with Katara.'

'But I'm first!' interrupted Sokka. 'There's been a wart on the back of my throat flap for months now and she _promised_ –'

'Sokka, we don't have time for this,' said Aang. 'We need to leave now.'

Sokka continued talking. Aang and Suki both sighed and grabbed Sokka by the wrist, dragging him up the stairs, while Toph pulled the body of the semi-conscious Dai Li agent with her, muttering dark threats under her breath. Zuko almost felt sorry for the poor guy.

'Remember: we'll be attacking tomorrow at sunrise,' said Aang over his shoulder.

Zuko nodded. The threesome left, Sokka still going on and on about the wart on the back of his throat. Once they had left, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Hopefully by this time tomorrow, he would be out of this nightmare.

Maybe he'd be on his way back to the Fire Nation.

Maybe he would be dead – although he hoped not.

Maybe he would tell Katara …

*

Zuko was woken up by the sound of terrified screams, crashing, the boom that meant that rock was hitting rock and the sound of footsteps.

Disoriented, it took him several minutes to gather his thoughts, take in his surroundings – realize what was happening.

They were attacking, Yu Yan or no Yu Yan.

Everyone was here, and it was because of him. Zuko felt the bile rise in his throat, felt his stomach twist with nausea. There was so much at risk.

Even with the White Lotus, the Kyoshi Warriors, and everyone who had come, the odds were still stacked against them. They couldn't afford to lose – but Zuko had an undeniable sense of overwhelming dread deep from within. If they lost, everything that he had worked for would be gone. Everyone would be gone …

Two young women appeared in the doorway, clad in green dresses. Their faces were snow-white, their lips scarlet, as well as the area around their eyes. In their hands they held blade-sharp fans. They were the Kyoshi Warriors that Suki had assigned to protect him for the duration of the battle.

'What's happening? Are we winning?' Zuko was desperate for news.

'The Dai Li have started killing air temple civilians and using them as human shields in an attempt to halt our attacks.'

Zuko felt his stomach drop.

'The Avatar ... he and his friends have continued fighting,' said the warrior. 'They are steadily advancing, and driving the Dai Li back.'

Aang – the boy who avoided killing whenever possible. Who had spared the lives of murderers, the life of his father. Now Aang was being forced to watch innocent people die, being forced to stand in their blood and continue fighting. Zuko wondered what had happened to Huu and Asuka, to Teo and his father, to everyone.

Zuko couldn't fight.

He couldn't help.

All he could do was sit and wait while innocent lives ended.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

The Kyoshi Warriors had bought food with them, and it had taken very little convincing – none, to be precise – to get Zuko to eat, even though every time he swallowed he felt that his food was going to make a second appearance. But his starvation overrode the nausea he was experiencing, and a mixture of determination and survival instincts managed to keep the bread down, and after doing so, he promptly fell asleep.

Zuko had seen Suki fight before, and watching the two Kyoshi Warriors take down four Dai Li agents gave him a real sense of de ja vu. Over time, more Dai Li came, and every single one of them was driven back. Zuko helped several times with his firebending, discovering that, to his relief that the combination of a full stomach and sleep was making him feel almost like his old self. _Almost_.

The two warriors, whose names were Sai and Nami, were both excellent fighters – yet total opposites. Sai was definitely the more in-your-face type fighter, she was the first to attack when the Dai Li approached. Nami always stayed at a safe distance, yet still managed to get in some serious hits that would send the Dai Li staggering.

But the real pain Zuko experienced came from not knowing what was happening. Everyone who could fight, with the exception of Sai and Nami, was out there – there was no time to pop in for a cup of tea and gossip about how the attack was going. The silence was torturing him.

*

The cellar door crashed open. Groggy and half-asleep, Zuko mustered the self-will to look up. It was Suki – and she was covered in blood, and somehow Zuko knew that it wasn't hers.

'Things aren't going too well,' she gasped, 'Sai, Nami, I need you in the temple courtyard – go!'

The two women were both out the door before Zuko could even blink.

'What's wrong?' he asked.

'We knew that Dai Li had numbers, Zuko, but this is … unimaginable. There's literally no room to move on the ground, there's so many. We have to rely on attacks from the sky now – Aang's on his glider right now, so are Teo and some others.'

'Is there anything I can do to help?' asked Zuko. He felt strong enough to fight, or at least he hoped he was.

'Stay alive,' said Suki over her shoulder as she left the cellar.

And Zuko knew that she wasn't joking.

*

Zuko had been on his own in the cellar for half an hour when the Dai Li came. There were five of them, and each one's face was twisted into a malicious scowl. Zuko also noticed that they were wearing their old green robes, and the round hats that shaded their faces.

He stood up, pulling his fist back, prepared to firebend. He could do this. Five boulders simultaneously flew at him, yet not a single one struck home. Even though his body hadn't done this for a while, it had quickly remembered how. All of those hours with Iroh, drilling the same sets over and over again, had begun to pay off. His body was one step ahead of his mind.

Like Aang, Zuko had never taken a life – but unlike Aang, he was open to the option. Now that he knew he could fight, these Dai Li _were going to get out of his way_. Right. Now.

He grunted from the force that the last fireball caused him, sending the final Dai Li falling to the ground, unconscious. It would be only a matter of time before the man died from the burns. But Zuko didn't care. He didn't look back.

*

Suki hadn't lied – the Dai Li _were_ everywhere: in the courtyard, on the balconies surrounding it. The ground was slick with scarlet blood, and Zuko felt his sides heave – and swallowed hard, trying to ignore the foul taste on his tongue. He scanned the courtyard, looking for that familiar blue dress, but instead saw only the dark green of the Dai Li's robes. Where were they?

Then he heard that all too familiar cackle that signified King Bumi was near. Suddenly a huge part of the earth beneath his feet gave way, and at least twenty Dai Li were swallowed into the ground. He looked up. King Bumi was madly earthbending at the Dai Li, several members of the Order of the White Lotus at his side. Zuko briefly saw the faces of Piando and Pakku before his vision was blocked as more Dai Li approached him.

Zuko had known that fighting earthbending masters wouldn't be easy. It would be just hard as before. Their boulders were still as compact as they had been during the battle in Ba Sing Se, and it still took huge amounts of fire to break them.

He ducked a flying boulder, hearing it crash into a pillar behind him. Zuko ran forward several steps, right into the path of another flying rock, too late realizing that he didn't have time to deflect it –

The boulder exploded just before it hit him. Zuko looked up.

'Need some help, Fire Lord?' asked Jeong Jeong, a faintly amused look on his scarred face.

'I need you to help me find Aang,' said Zuko while firebending at several Dai Li.

'Your friends went to the temple sanctuary,' said Jeong Jeong, a long fire whip in his hands. 'I suggest you hurry.'

'Where's the temple sanctuary?' cried out Zuko above the noise of the battle.

Jeong Jeong indicated with his free hand. 'I am not entirely sure. Ask your uncle.'

'Where's he?' yelled Zuko, but Jeong Jeong appeared not to have heard his words.

Zuko left the firebender, seeking out Iroh. It took several minutes to find his uncle, who was firebending on one of the sloping rooftops alongside several Kyoshi Warriors and a Yu Yan archer.

'Uncle!' cried Zuko, hoping Iroh could hear him. 'I need to find the temple sanctuary! Where is it?'

Iroh didn't respond to his nephew straight away, instead taking a minute or so to finish of the remaining Dai Li on the roof. Then he turned around and looked down.

'Nephew, go past the statue and down the hallway, turn right, then left, and go straight ahead! It's the room with the decorated door!'

Zuko nodded, frantically trying to remember the details, before bowing his head in thanks and quickly leaving.

*

It had taken him longer than it should have to find the sanctuary, and he had always assumed that the door would be locked. After all, only airbenders could enter it. But he was surprised to see that the door was ajar, and he could hear voices coming from within. Zuko stepped into the sanctuary.

'Hello?'

Katara, Aang and Sokka all spun around.

'Zuko!'

'What is he doing –?'

'You're _here_?'

Finally the questions stopped. Katara was smiling.

'What are you doing here?' asked Zuko. 'You're meant to be fighting, right?'

'We're trying to get Aang into the Avatar State,' explained Sokka. 'We figure it's the only way we can win this.'

'I tried meditating, but …' Aang trailed off, hanging his head. 'I just can't do it. I can't reach it!' he exploded, a harsh breeze pushing Zuko back several steps.

'Woah, calm down,' said Zuko. 'Think. Have you ever been forced into the Avatar State before? When you weren't in danger?'

There was complete silence. Nobody was meeting his gaze.

'Aang – If I'm going to be able to help you, I need to know this. Tell me.'

Aang sighed. 'Once. We were at this Earth Kingdom base, Sokka, Katara and me, and their general tried to force me into the Avatar State. He ... he pretended to kill Katara.'

Zuko's heart skipped a few beats. 'Oh.'

'I tried throwing my boomerang at Aang a few times,' said Sokka, 'but I guess it wasn't life-threatening enough.' He shrugged sheepishly.

Zuko resisted the urge to roll his good eye. _Okay, think. The last time Aang was __forced__ into the Avatar State was when he thought Katara was dead – gone, forever. He had to watch her 'die'. She was taken from him and he couldn't do anything –_

Zuko started. 'I know how to get you into the Avatar State,' he said simply, and walked across the sanctuary floor until he stood face to face with Katara, who was watching him suspiciously.

'Hi,' said Zuko, putting one hand on her shoulder to steady himself.

'Hello?' Katara's voice was skeptical.

Zuko reached around and put one hand at the base of her neck, to keep her still.

Then Katara realized what was happening. She reeled backwards, trying to pull away, but Zuko held her there. He met her gaze, furiously wishing she could read his thoughts.

_This is all I could come up with. I'm sorry._

Then Katara sighed and Zuko felt her relax. He knew that she understood.

'Sorry Aang, it's all I could think of,' he said, before leaning down and forward and kissing her on the lips.

For the first few seconds Zuko heard nothing, everything was a confused blur. All he really heard was a shocked shriek, courtesy of Sokka. Several more seconds passed, after which Katara wrapped her arms around Zuko's neck – the result being something not unlike an electric shock coursing through his body and making him hyperaware of everything around him.

Then they broke apart, wildly searching for each other's gaze. What had happened? What had he done? Katara's cheeks were flushed red, her eyes wide.

_Mine._

They both looked around, confused. Who had spoken? Zuko glanced at Sokka, who looked as equally perplexed as he was.

_Mine!_

Of course.

Zuko looked at Aang.

The boy's face was twisted into an uncharacteristic scowl.

And his eyes were glowing.

**Notes:**

**- *hides from fans with flaming torchces* I'm sorry that I didn't hint at a kiss at the start of the chapter, but I didn't want to give anything away! *pleads***


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

There was a loud crash and the next thing Zuko knew, the walls of the air temple sanctuary were collapsing around him. In the midst of all the dust and rubble, he could see Aang, bent low in an earthbending form. He stepped forward, to approach the young airbender, but a firm grip grabbed his arm and dragged him back several steps.

'What were you thinking?' yelled Sokka, still pulling Zuko out of the temple sanctuary, Katara a few steps behind him. 'You don't just walk up to Aang when he's in the Avatar State –'

'I used to!' interjected Katara, looking annoyed.

'– And what in the name of the Ocean Spirit was _that_ all about?' he cried out, turning to face Zuko. '_You_ kissed my baby sister!'

'Aang also kissed me, but you never had a problem with that!' yelled Katara, looking thoroughly irritated.

'Yeah, but …' Sokka didn't finish. 'For something that was supposed to be a huge sacrifice, you looked like you enjoyed that too much,' he said accusingly.

'Hey!' shouted Katara; 'it was his idea!' she pointed at Zuko. 'And if you used that swelled-up head of yours to _think_ for a moment, you might consider the fact that, in order for this to work, I'd _need_ to make it look like I was 'enjoying it' as you ever so cleverly put it?'

Part of Zuko was amused and wanted to laugh, the other part was too busy being deadly serious and planning ahead to laugh and the third felt as if it had just been punched in the stomach – hard.

But this wasn't the time.

'What do we do now?' he asked, jumping in between the two sibling's crossfire. 'Do we stay with Aang?'

'No,' said Sokka quickly, 'Aang can take care of himself. He has the Avatar State. We need to keep fighting the Dai Li.'

Both Zuko and Katara nodded. 'Did you guys come up with any particular strategy I need to know about?' he asked, desperately avoiding Katara's gaze.

'Nope. Just keep pushing the Dai Li back until they have to leave,' said Sokka. 'Easy as pie.'

_Sure – if pie's a thousand earthbending masters bent on killing all of your friends and controlling you and the world for the rest of your life._

'Come on,' said Katara, walking away from the temple sanctuary, 'let's go.'

_Let the bloodbath begin._

*

Uncle Iroh had been right, Suki had been right. The Dai Li had numbers. It seemed as if every time Zuko pushed one more green-clad body away from him, pushed it into the ground, another Dai Li stepped forward, ready to take his place.

Zuko's blast of fire sent the agent staggering backwards several steps. He finished the man off with another fireball without a second glance.

Zuko didn't know where he had found the energy, but he had fought all day. In only a couple of hours they would lose their light – a major disadvantage when you were fighting earthbenders who could literally appear from right under your feet.

Zuko wished he had his swords.

His foot slipped on the corridor floor – it was slick with blood. But he also knew that however bad things got here, it would be tenfold worse in the courtyard, where most of the fighting was happening, where there was the most death.

Zuko swallowed hard.

Katara was in the courtyard.

So were Aang, Sokka, Toph and Suki.

So was Huu.

So was Teo.

But Zuko didn't have time to think about the unthinkable – the pain in his broken ribs and arm was killing him, distracting him. Every firebending form he made seemed to hurt him in some way, even the simplest of fire blasts.

*

Zuko continued fighting. The adrenaline helped his body override the pain – but he knew he would be feeling it later.

Zuko was too slow. A boulder rammed into his stomach, causing him to scream aloud from the pain, slamming him against a pillar, pinning his arms against it. The Dai Li agent advanced, moving in from the kill.

Zuko braced himself, preparing for the agony.

The agent smiled.

He lifted one hand up, hovering a boulder underneath his palm.

With a flick of his wrist, the agent sharpened the boulder until it was like one of Zuko's swords.

Zuko shut his eyes, conjuring up Katara's face in his mind's eye – it was the last thing he wanted to see.

There was silence. Zuko reopened his eyes.

The Dai Li agent was on his knees, blood pouring out of his mouth – the man was being suffocated by it.

Katara was standing in the corridor; her arms spread apart, legs braced. There were those same jerky movements, the cutting motions with her arms.

Bloodbending.

The agent's head hit the ground, blood pooling by his side. The rock that had been pinning Zuko to the pillar completely collapsed.

Ignoring the burning pain in his chest, Zuko staggered forward several steps, and then his knees buckled. Katara caught him in her arms.

It was then Zuko noticed her glistening eyes, filled with unshed tears.

'What's wrong?' he asked, standing up, a thousand different scenarios flitting through his mind. Katara's dress was stained with blood – what if it was hers? 'Are you hurt?'

'I'm fine,' she said, her voice trembling.

'No you're not,' said Zuko. 'What's wrong?'

'Aang …' sighed Katara, 'he's …'

Zuko looked down. 'I know.' The power of the Avatar State frightened him too.

'The battle is going well,' said Katara, 'we're driving the Dai Li back, there's barely any left and they're all in the courtyard. Aang made the real difference. It's only a matter of time before they're gone for good. That's why I was told to go and find you – we're going to need help finishing off the last of the Dai Li and counting the dead.'

'Oh.'

There was silence. Not awkward, not depressed, just … silence. Perhaps it was an awkward silence in the sense that there was so much that they needed to talk about, yet there just wasn't enough time.

'What's the time?' asked Zuko.

'Evening has fallen,' said Katara. 'Do you need help walking?'

A long time ago, Zuko would have been highly insulted at the question. He would have been angry that the mere thought of somebody thinking that he was too weak to walk without aid. But that was before – this was now.

'I think I do,' said Zuko. 'Can you take it slow? My ribs …' he trailed off, horrible, agonizing memories flooding into his head.

_Arms pinned above his head, pressed against the wall. The sound of his ribs breaking accompanied by the cold echo of the Dai Li laughing. Tears of pure pain pouring down his face, every breath becoming harder to breathe._

Zuko was jolted out of his memories when he saw Katara lift the water, glowing silver in her hands, in her palms, and press it to his chest. Several minutes passed, and then her hands slid down to his arms, the cool water washing over his bruises and cuts, mending his broken arm.

'Thanks,' mumbled Zuko, not sure of what else to say.

'It's nothing,' said Katara.

Then she lifted her arms to his face, her palms cradling it. Zuko felt his face flush as the silver water healed his cuts and bruises.

_Katara loves Aang._

_Katara loves Aang._

Those thoughts alone pretty much sobered him up, stopped his thoughts from spinning out of control.

But Zuko was suddenly very aware of the fact that Katara had finished healing his face. But her hands were still there, resting on his cheeks.

This silence was definitely awkward.

They were both thinking about the same thing – the air temple sanctuary, the kiss.

They both left the corridor in silence, walking towards the courtyard.

Definitely awkward.

**Notes: Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate them! I feel kinda bad for not writing more about what Aang did in the Avatar State, but I didn't want him and Zuko fighting side-by-side. What Aang did will be explained more thoroughly in the next chapter.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon. No profit is made from this story.**

**Notes: Nice long chapter, I hope you enjoy it.**

had never seen so much horror, so much fear, so must terror before in his life as he did the day he saw Aang exit the Avatar State in the Northern Air Temple. The boy's eyes were wide with pure fear and the second his feet touched the ground, he swayed. Zuko stepped forward, ready to catch Aang if he fell.

Katara was already at Aang's side, embracing him. Zuko felt his throat close up and something in his chest tightened so hard it hurt to breathe, even though his ribs were fine now.

'I … I hurt all of those people,' said Aang, his voice barely a whisper. 'I killed them!'

Katara stepped back from Aang so she could look him in the eyes. 'Aang, I know that the monks taught you that you shouldn't kill, but you didn't have a choice. If you hadn't, the Dai Li would have hurt everybody, the whole world, not just us.'

'I'm a murderer.' Aang's voice was hollow and hoarse. 'I'm a murderer.'

'No,' said Katara firmly, 'you're the Avatar.'

Aang stepped forward and put his arms around Katara's waist, resting his head on her shoulder. He looked so young, so tired.

'I don't think there's a difference any more.'

*

Fighting had been messy and bloody and physically exhausting, but Zuko would have gone through the entire battle all over again if it meant that he didn't have to count the dead.

Three Yu Yan.

Sai and Nami.

Master Piando.

Seven Kyoshi Warriors.

Teo.

Everyone had gone off in small groups afterwards. Sokka and Suki had gone searching for Toph, who hadn't been seen since the battle ended.

Katara was healing the wounded back in the courtyard, Aang by her side. Nobody was letting the airbender out of their sight in case his thoughts turned more … suicidal. They couldn't afford to lose him now, the world couldn't afford to lose him at all.

So Zuko was searching the entire temple, counting the dead, looking for survivors. So far there had been none – if you were hit by the Dai Li, you were _hit_ by the Dai Li.

Zuko continued through the endless corridors in the air temple. There had to be at least one survivor …

Two Kyoshi Warriors were on the ground. Zuko sighed and walked over to the first, kneeled down to feel for a pulse – standard procedure, just in case. The first warrior was stone dead, a boulder piercing her clean through the stomach. Zuko crouched by the second girl, whose abdomen was soaked with blood.

As soon as his hand touched her arm, the girl's eyes opened. They were wide and brown. For a second the two merely stared at each other, unsure of what to say – _hey, thanks for fighting for me. Enjoy your deathbed _– but then the moment was gone, and the girl was unconscious again.

Zuko picked the girl up, bridal style. Normally, when he had to carry a body, he would have flung it over his back, but he didn't know anything about injuries. Carrying her like that could hurt her.

There was one survivor.

Katara could heal her if he took her to the courtyard.

For the first time in what felt like a century, Zuko felt as if he had managed to do the right thing at the right place at the right time.

*

The girl regained consciousness as Zuko carried her to the courtyard.

'What happened?' she croaked. 'Where's Amika?'

Zuko remembered the first Kyoshi Warrior, the dead one. But he couldn't tell the girl now – it would be too much for her to cope with. So instead he lied. 'You got hurt,' he said, at least beginning with the truth. 'I don't know about Amika. But I'm sure she's okay.'

The Kyoshi Warrior nodded weakly, an echo of a smile on her face, before promptly passing out again.

*

The temple courtyard, once the centre of the battle, the centre of the bloodshed, was covered with bodies, some silent and unmoving, others still barely clinging to their existence.

Katara had been healing the injured, Zuko had known that. Despite the current situation, he had to stifle a laugh when he saw Master Pakku bent over a bleeding body, silver water glowing beneath his palms – 'women's work'. He didn't know how Katara had forced the older waterbender into healing, but he made a mental note to find out.

He looked around, searching for Katara amongst the people in the courtyard. He couldn't see her. Aang was sitting on the ground, a distant look in his grey eyes, and his chin in his hands.

'Where's Katara?' asked Zuko once he stood next to the boy – the warrior had little time left.

Aang lifted his head up, eyes still forlorn. 'She left,' he said, 'the Dai Li trapped your uncle and other White Lotus members underground for hours and hours and they've only just got them out.'

Zuko felt his heartbeat instantly speed up. 'Is Uncle all right?'

Aang shrugged. 'I … don't know.' His voice was a monotone.

Zuko gritted his teeth. 'Listen, I found a Kyoshi Warrior and she's badly injured. She'll survive, but only if Katara heals her now.'

Aang looked at the body Zuko held in his arms. It was as if a lamp had been lit in the boys eyes.

'Katara won't be back for a while now,' said Aang, some life returning to his voice, 'but I can find some bandages –'

'There isn't time!' cried out Zuko in anger. He felt the girl stir in is arms, moaning. 'She's only got minutes, Aang, not hours!'

'You could try and ask Master Pakku,' said the boy slowly.

'Aang – I said _minutes_,' growled Zuko. 'And Master Pakku was busy healing someone else when I saw him before.'

Aang hung his head. 'I'm sorry, Zuko. I don't know what to …'

Anger pulsed through Zuko's body, and all of a sudden common sense seemed like a waste of time. 'You can do it, Aang!' he yelled. 'You're a waterbender too – you heal her!'

Aang turned away. 'I never knew how. Katara never taught me.'

'Well learn!' shouted Zuko, attracting stares from across the courtyard. 'I know you're upset that you killed people in the Avatar State, but now you have the opportunity to help someone, so for Agni's sake heal her!'

Aang blinked several times, as if stunned. Then he nodded. 'Okay,' he said shakily, 'put her down in front of me.'

Zuko did exactly that. Aang waterbended a thin stream of water out of a nearby pot – Katara must have been using that water for healing, too – and hovered it over the Kyoshi Warrior's body.

'What do I do?' asked Aang.

Zuko thought. 'Katara always wore water over her hands, like a glove, when she healed me,' he said.

'Oh, yeah. I forgot about that,' said Aang, letting the water slip over his hands. It glowed silver. 'Wow!' he cried out, clearly surprised, pressing his hands down onto the warrior's stomach.

Several seconds passed, Aang's face furrowed into a frown. 'Katara always made it … look so easy,' he said.

Suddenly the warrior sat up, gasping and choking for air, eyes wide. Aang was so surprised by this that he let go of the water he was bending, and it splashed down on the girl's chest. She looked around, confused.

'Hey,' said Aang quietly.

'I feel really cold,' said the girl. Then she looked down, saw the water soaking into her dress, and laughed softly.

Zuko hadn't laughed for so long. Hearing it made him feel good. He glanced at Aang, who was smiling.

'What's your name?' he asked the girl.

'I'm Isami,' she said. 'And I have a sister, Amika.' Isami sighed. '_Had_ a sister, I should say. She got hit first – she stepped in front of me.'

Aang looked a Zuko, somewhat confused, but then understanding crossed his face. He put a hand on Isami's shoulder. 'Your sister was a brave woman,' he said sincerely. 'She must have cared about you a lot.'

'Yeah,' sniffed Isami, 'she did.'

Zuko wasn't sure if he should hang around for the inevitable tears, and quickly made his exit, taking the pot of water and walking towards Pakku.

'Here,' he said to the man, putting it by his side.

Pakku looked up, an irritated scowl on his face. 'Thank-you, Fire Lord Zuko,' he said stiffly, before returning to healing the injured girl.

_Ty Lee._

She looked up. 'Hey Zuko,' she said brightly, 'some battle, huh?'

Zuko's jaw was literally on the ground. 'What … what happened to _you_?'

Ty Lee smiled. 'Well, Mai and I were fighting in the courtyard together and there were _so many_ Dai Li, and I was too busy chi-blocking this _one guy_, and I didn't really notice the one that snuck up behind me,' Ty Lee indicated to her arm. 'And then he threw a big rock at me, and I flipped around to doge it, but I fell funny and broke my arm. I've never broken my arm before. It feels funny … tingly … like pins and needles!' Ty Lee giggled.

Now Zuko understood why Pakku was looking so peeved. He shot a sympathetic look at the man, who scowled in return.

'Is Mai all right?' he asked – suddenly feeling extremely guilty for not worrying about _his girlfriend_ sooner.

All of a sudden, Ty Lee didn't look so happy. 'She left,' she said simply, staring at the ground.

Pakku removed the silver water from Ty Lee's arm. 'Off with you,' he growled.

Ty Lee stood up and bounded off gracefully, not even taking a second glance at Zuko.

_Why had Mai left so suddenly? She had gone without saying goodbye … just like Ba Sing Se. _

Zuko sighed. He didn't want to think – thinking hurt. He headed back towards the centre of the courtyard, where Aang and Isami were. Hopefully the waterworks would be finished with by now.

While walking across the courtyard, he bumped into Huu and Asuka. Even though they were losing light, evening had started to fall; he managed to get his first good look at Asuka. Zuko did have to admit that the girl was beautiful – in a completely different way to Katara, though. He could see what Huu saw in her.

'Hey Huu,' he said to the boy, nodding a greeting to Asuka.

'Hi,' said Huu, unconsciously reaching up and pressing his fingertips to a large purple bruise on his face. Zuko's heart skipped a few beats.

'So they got you too, huh?' It wasn't really a question.

Huu nodded enthusiastically. 'I got a real war wound!' He sounded pretty impressed. 'And I got to fight with Toph _and_ the Avatar!'

'I don't care how famous they are,' scolded Asuka. 'You could have been killed!' Huu's grin faded.

Zuko smiled. So this girl did have some guts after all – good for her. Asuka was still scolding Huu for being proud of 'almost having his head knocked into the ocean!' as he was leaving.

He arrived back where Aang and Isami were seated. Someone must have passed food around – they were both eating chunks of bread. Aang's cheeks were bulging.

'Ooof. Thorry Thuko. We thouth yuff wufft.'

_Oops. Sorry Zuko. We thought you left._

Aang swallowed hard. 'Yeah …' he said, rubbing the back of his neck, looking sheepish, 'about that …'

'It's okay,' said Zuko, sitting down. 'I can wait.'

There were footsteps behind him, and Zuko turned around. It was Katara, with Iroh at her side.

'Uncle!' cried out Zuko. 'You're alive!'

'I have to hand it to your uncle, Zuko,' said Katara, 'he was trapped underground for hours on end, with no means of escape and badly injured. Most people would have panicked. But when I arrived, everyone was calmly seated down and singing _Four Seasons.' _

Iroh chuckled. 'Miss Katara makes me sound like a hero, but in reality, all I did was suggest a makeshift music night. It was Bumi who decided that we sing _Four Seasons_.'

Zuko heard that familiar maniacal laugh in the distance, and then Bumi appeared next to Iroh, snacking on a handful of rock candy with Momo on his shoulder.

Katara came and sat down next to Aang. 'How are you doing?' she asked gently.

'I used my waterbending to heal Isami. It glowed and everything!' said Aang, sounding pleased.

'That's great, Aang!' said Katara earnestly. 'If you like, later on, I'll teach you some techniques I learned from Yugoda.'

Aang smiled. 'I'd like that.'

'Maybe Master Pakku can teach you instead,' said Zuko, and everybody laughed.

'The healing techniques the Avatar learns will be needed on the Fire Lord once I'm finished with him!' called out the sarcastic voice of Master Pakku.

Zuko seriously hoped the waterbender was joking. He shot a nervous glance at Katara, and she shrugged.

Aang stood up. 'I'll be back in a minute; I just want to use the – Sokka!'

Zuko looked up and saw Sokka's faint-blue clothes in the distance, Suki at his side. But something was wrong. As the two came closer to Zuko, he could see that both their faces were full of sadness. There were tear tracks down Suki's cheeks. Then Zuko saw the green-clad body Sokka had in his arms.

Toph.

Katara made a sound that was a gasp mingled with a sob and ran forward, straight into Suki's arms. Both girls started crying. Zuko stood up and went to join them.

'She was just alive when we found her,' said Sokka, his voice choked, 'but only for a minute. There wasn't enough time to get Katara.'

Aang, who had been standing at Zuko's side, collapsed. Zuko caught him in his arms, while fighting back his own tears. Toph couldn't be dead – this was Toph, the girl who beat up anybody who got in her way. The girl who was always shouting, laughing, always in your face and _alive_. Now she was gone.

Aang stirred, and Zuko sat the boy down on the ground. For a second Aang's eyes were clouded and confused, but then they filled with dull pain. Aang turned his gaze away from Zuko's.

'This is my entire fault …' he whispered, his head in his lap.

Zuko crouched down beside Aang, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

'No it isn't,' he said sincerely, 'it wasn't you she was fighting for.' _It was me._

Aang sighed, and a shudder ran through his body. His shoulders started to shake, and Zuko realized that Aang was crying. Then his senses started to work and he realized he was crying too.

*

Later, Zuko went to see Sokka. It was night, and everyone had been assigned rooms to sleep in. The scent of blood and death hung in the air. Zuko doubted that he would sleep at all that night.

He couldn't ask Sokka if he was okay, because he already knew the answer. Nobody was okay, and it would take a long time before they were again.

Instead, Sokka spoke on his own. 'Suki found her,' he said. 'We wanted to get Katara to heal her, but Toph kept saying there wasn't enough time. She knew what was going to happen and she wasn't scared. But we were.' Sokka sighed. 'While she died, Suki held one hand and I held her other.'

Zuko said nothing for a few minutes. 'We'll have to tell her parents,' he said, common sense taking over.

Sokka shrugged. 'Toph's family already knows,' he said. 'Her parents will find out eventually.'

Zuko nodded once, and left Sokka's room.

*

He knocked on the door of Katara's room. There were footsteps, and the door opened. Zuko found himself peering into those familiar blue eyes.

'Oh,' said Katara, fully opening the door. Zuko walked in.

Katara shut the door, locking it behind her. 'I guess it's time we talked, isn't it?'

'Is this going to be as awkward for you as it is for me?'

Katara nodded. 'Pretty much.' She walked across the room and sat on her bed, beckoning for Zuko to do the same.

Zuko went and sat next to her. 'I'll go first.'

Katara nodded, watching him carefully.

He sighed, trying to prepare himself, but not knowing where to begin. 'I don't know how you felt about what happened in the temple sanctuary, and I probably never will. Sokka said that we looked like we were enjoying kissing too much and maybe you were faking the whole thing but,' Zuko took a deep breath, 'I did enjoy it.'

Katara's eyes were wide, but she kept her mouth closed, waiting for Zuko to finish.

Zuko gritted his teeth – this was excruciatingly painful, but not in a physical way. 'Katara, I think you're amazing. You're intelligent and independent and caring and heroic and a great leader and a great friend. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever met, but saying that makes it sound like I only see you on the outside when,' Zuko paused for breath, 'when what I see in you is the great person you are. Katara, you trusted me in the catacombs. I was the face of the enemy and you trusted _me_.' Zuko stopped. He couldn't meet her eyes, so he stared at the ground. 'That's why I …' his last words were so quiet they were barely audible. 'That's why I love you.'

There was silence. _Why did you do this? She loves the Avatar. Zuko, you're an idiot for doing this – right after one of her best friends died._

'Zuko …'

He forced himself to look up. Katara was crying.

_Oh shit._

But then Zuko saw her smile.

'For someone who doesn't talk much,' she said, 'you sure have a way with words.'

Zuko didn't know how it happened, but then they were kissing and neither of them wanted to stop. Unlike the kiss in the temple sanctuary, all rushed and confused and all over before you could blink, this was different. It was slower, more careful. They were testing each other out slowly and gently. How very fortunate that they were on a bed.

They had started out sitting on the bed together, but then Katara lay down on her back, and Zuko leaned over her. The kiss intensified, and Zuko slid one knee between her thighs. Katara tensed beneath him, and Zuko felt his heart race. A part of him was sure that this was all one twisted dream, and any second now he would wake up. This couldn't be happening.

But this wasn't a dream – and it was happening.

Zuko felt Katara push him away. He quickly pulled back into a seated position.

Katara's face was flushed red. If it was possible, her eyes were wider than before.

'…Not today,' she gasped, 'not now,' she sat up, cross-legged. 'But …' Katara didn't finish her sentence, but she was smiling.

Zuko reached forward and tucked a stray strand of Katara's hair behind her hair. 'I'll be waiting for you,' he said. 'You know I will.'

*

Dawn was rapidly approaching; Zuko could see it from where he lay in his bed from the open window. The sky, once a deep, inky blue, was now paling to a soft grey, and slowly the stars had begun to fade. He could see long, golden fingers reaching up above the horizon, beginning to stroke the sky, caress it into the day.

Katara was still asleep against his side, with Zuko's arm around her waist. It had been a hot night, and somewhere along the line one of them had kicked back the blankets.

But neither one of them had made an attempt to move away from the other.

**Notes: **

**- Firstly, I am very sorry for killing Toph. Ultimately it my decision as the writer, and I am trying to keep Dawn Approaches realistic. And in real life, not everybody returns from the battle. If it helps, I tried to give her a dignified death. Sorry, guys :P**

**- As pointed out in several reviews, there are inconsistencies in Dawn Approaches, mainly regarding Zuko's injuries. I am going to make edits to the relevant chapters so that the plot makes more sense, but I will do this _once_ Dawn Approaches is finished.**

**- No, this isn't the last chapter, although it's _possibly_ the second-last one. But don't despair, there will be an epilogue, and that counts, right? :)**

**Interesting Fact:**

**- Originally, Long Feng was going to make a return in this chapter. But it didn't work out.**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer: AtLA is property of VIACOM and Nickelodeon.**

Katara stirred, and then rolled around to her side.

'…Hey,' she mumbled into Zuko's neck, only half-awake.

Of course, what they had done was completely and utterly wrong. Zuko was sharing a bed with Katara – albeit, fully clothed – when, technically, he hadn't broken up with Mai. And Zuko was pretty sure that Katara was still 'with' Aang.

There was a knock on the door, and Katara completely stiffened.

'Time to face the music,' murmured Zuko into her ear. Of course this had been enviable.

'Come in,' called Katara in an unsteady voice.

The door opened.

'Hey Ka … ZUKO?!'

*

'I really hope this isn't what I think it is. I really, really hope this isn't –'

'You were right the first time,' said Katara, getting out of the bed and standing to face her brother.

'So you two …' Sokka trailed off, his face a mixture of horror, disgust, and shock.

Katara folded her arms, a determined expression on her face. Zuko got out of bed and stood by her side. 'What's your problem?'

Sokka's face turned red. 'You're Aang's girlfriend!' he cried out angrily. 'Not Zuko's!'

Katara took several steps forward. 'I don't 'belong' to anyone. What's it to you?'

Sokka took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. 'You can't be Zuko's girlfriend,' he said in a rush.

'_WHAT?' _It was impossible to tell who had cried out in protest first.

'Get out,' said Katara firmly, quickly moving into a bending form.

'Just think about what you're doing,' protested Sokka. 'Aang loves _you_, Katara – you! If you leave him he's never going to find someone else. Ever.'

'Get. Out.'

Sokka didn't move. Zuko stepped forward.

'You heard what your sister said. Move.'

Sokka grunted in surprise as a sudden jet of water hit him square in the stomach, pushing him out into the hallway. Katara calmly walked over to the door and locked it.

'How long do you honestly think Sokka's going to keep his mouth shut?' she asked.

'Honestly?' Zuko thought for a second. 'I'd say we have five minutes at the maximum.'

Katara swore, and walked over to the door and pulled on her boots.

'What are you going to say? Do you want me to go with you?'

Katara looked up, and Zuko saw that she was trembling. 'I'm going to tell Aang the truth.'

'And…?'

'I need to do this alone.'

*

Eventually Zuko had decided that he couldn't wait any longer before he keeled over from hunger, and left Katara's room to go and find some food.

Somehow, everybody knew – he could tell from the way conversations would suddenly cut off when he walked by, from the way people would stare at him from the shadows, giggling and whispering to their friends.

And worst of all, there was nobody to talk to. Teo was long dead and Huu was nowhere to be found – he was probably with Asuka.

So, after finding out that food was being served in the courtyard and obtaining something chewy that Zuko assumed was dried meat, he went to his own bedroom and ate there.

*

The door opened. Zuko had expected Katara, but instead he found himself looking into Aang's face.

'Oh.' Zuko had absolutely no idea what to say, since he had no clue how Aang was feeling. 'I guess Katara told you.'

Aang sighed. 'Yeah. She did.'

The airbender walked across the room and sat on the bed, next to Zuko. 'I'm not angry with you, if that's what you're wondering.'

Zuko paused. 'Thanks for understanding.'

Aang looked up, his grey eyes bright and filled with tears. 'That's the thing – I don't understand. We were friends for _so long_; she always treated me like her best friend. But I always liked Katara more than that. So I did stuff for her, like when I made her a necklace when you took her old one.' Aang sighed, his shoulders slumped. 'I don't know what I did wrong!'

Then, for the first time since he exited the Avatar State at the Northern Air Temple, Aang started to cry, properly. He put his head on Zuko's shoulder and sobbed, shoulders shaking. This wasn't just about Katara – this was for all the Kyoshi Warriors who had died, for Teo, and for Toph. For every person who had died fighting the Dai Li, the people he had killed. For what could have been.

At first Zuko wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, but paternal instincts soon took over and he put one arm around the boy's shoulders, stroking his head, and let him weep.

_How many times did Katara hold him like this? How many times was I the cause of it?_

It took a while for Aang to stop, and by then the boy was emotionally exhausted – Zuko could see it in his eyes. Aang took his head off of Zuko's shoulder – the material covering it now soaked through – and put it in his own arms.

'I did everything the way I should,' whispered Aang. 'What did I do wrong?'

Zuko thought, and then came up with an answer. Undoubtedly it would hurt Aang, but he perhaps would also learn from it.

Zuko cleared his throat. 'Because love is unconditional,' he began, 'you can't buy it or earn it – believe me, I once tried. All you can do it feel it and know it's there and, if you're one of the lucky ones, share it with someone special.'

Aang nodded sadly. 'But love doesn't go away, even if you can't have it.'

Zuko took Aang's hand and squeezed tightly. 'I'm sure that one day you'll find someone else.'

Aang stood up, preparing to leave the room, while Sokka's words played over and over again in Zuko's mind, a haunting tune accompanying them.

_If you leave him he's never going to find someone else. Ever._

The door closed softly. Several minutes passed, and then it re-opened. Zuko stood up to meet Katara, whose face was streaked with tears, and spread his arms. She walked right into his embrace, and they both stayed there because neither one wanted to leave the other.

For several minutes they both stayed that way, leaning on each other in more ways than one. Then Katara pulled back, still resting her hands lightly in Zuko's.

'He didn't take it well, did he?' sniffed Katara.

Zuko nodded. 'I don't want to lie to you – he's not good. But he _has_ accepted that you don't love him back.'

Katara bit back a sob. 'That's the thing, I do love him.' Zuko's heart stopped beating for a second. 'But not the way he does. I'd shave my head and get air monk tattoos if it meant his safety or death because I want to protect him, but the second someone tried to separate us – even if it was for the safety of the world – I'd try to find another way because when I'm with you I feel incredibly selfish.'

Part of Zuko wanted to laugh, but the other was too grim. Instead he tilted his head to the side and kissed Katara softly on the lips, barely for a second, before gently pulling away.

Katara smiled. 'So … have you sorted things out with Mai?' she asked in a choked-up voice.

Zuko nodded, his jaw set. He walked across his room and picked up the sheet of paper that he had found lying by his bed when he went to eat there before. He gave Katara the letter and watched the expression on her face change as she read it. The words raced through Zuko's mind – Mai had been painstakingly clear.

_Dear Zuko,_

_I'm sorry you have to find out like this, but we're over. I figure you pretty much know that since you're not in your own bed. _

_Mai_

Katara handed the letter back to Zuko.

'I'd like to say I'm sorry for you,' she said, 'but that would be lying.'

'Selfish Water Tribe peasant,' teased Zuko, kissing her again.

Katara broke away from the kiss just in time to respond.

'Pony-tail guy!'

*

Sokka had been the one who had suggested that they cremate Toph. The Northern Air Temple wasn't exactly a suitable place, but nobody really wanted to take her back to Ba Sing Se – sitting beside her lifeless shell for hours on end would be pure torture. Zuko had almost vomited straight onto the ground when Sokka had asked him to cremate the body.

_He was going to burn her a second time._

But Zuko couldn't say no. Apart from Aang, he was the only firebender here. And asking Aang to do _it_ would be an act of unspeakable cruelty.

Nobody really knew what to say. The ceremony was completely informal, and although they all knew that would have been the way Toph wanted it, it left them all in a state of confusion. Finally, after several minutes of awkward silence, Katara suggested that they all say a few words about Toph. She started.

'When I first met Toph,' Katara began, 'I thought I could never like her. We were complete opposites – she would laugh when I was serious, would fool around when work needed to be done. We both drove each other over the edge.' A smile crossed Katara's face. 'It took time. Even though we clashed, I came to respect Toph. She was a great bender and a wonderful teacher and an amazing friend.' Katara blinked hard. 'Good-bye, Toph.'

Everybody took their turn, even Zuko. Sokka managed a few sentences before clamming up. Iroh had a nice anecdote about the day they met. Suki was the only person not to speak – mainly because she had never been close to the young earthbender. Aang spoke last.

'Toph, you were the best earthbending teacher an Avatar could ever wish for. You taught me so much and –'

_Wait a minute. Aang never completely mastered earthbending. _Zuko's thoughts began to wander. _He had only just started metalbending in Ba Sing Se – he still has so much to learn. He's going to need another teacher. What if he doesn't want one?_

'- Thank-you, Sifu Toph.' Aang bowed and then rejoined the group.

To his surprise, Zuko saw that a crowd had gathered to watch the funeral – and quickly realized why. The wood had already been prepared; all there was left to do was burn.

Zuko swallowed; his throat suddenly very dry. He didn't know if he could do this. Then Katara grabbed his hand and squeezed it, in much the same manner that he had for Aang earlier that day, and then Zuko knew he could do this, not for his friends, for his family.

*

'Aang? Aang? Where are you?'

Zuko hadn't really noticed how large the Northern Air Temple was until now. Aang could be anywhere – and they were meant to be leaving in ten minutes.

'Aang? Come on already, Appa's in the courtyard and ready to go. Where are you?'

There was silence. Zuko groaned and continued forward.

'_Aang_?'

To his surprise, there was a reply.

'I'm in the library!'

'Where?'

'Follow the sound of my voice!'

If Zuko didn't know any better, he would almost be thinking that Aang sounded excited. About what? He walked down the corridor, past the murals of the airbenders and their sky bison, until he found a small door. Opening it and leaning low, Zuko entered the library.

There were shelves and shelves of scrolls and scrolls and more scrolls. They were everywhere, even piled on the floor. Aang was seated, cross-legged, on the floor, tears pouring down his face.

'Aang? What's wrong?' Zuko crouched down beside the boy, putting a hand on his shoulder. 'Are you okay?'

Instead of speaking, Aang simply put two scrolls in Zuko's lap, looking at him expectantly. Zuko prepared to open the first one, but Aang quickly knocked it out of his hand, indicating to him that he wanted him to read the other scroll.

'I don't get it,' said Zuko, quickly scanning the letter. 'It's dated just before The War started. Ten airbending masters, both female and male, were transferred from the Southern Air Temple to the Northern, in order to help teach the large amount of airbenders that needed to start training.'

Aang snatched the scroll out of Zuko's hands, placing the second one in it.

'Aang, you really need to talk,' said Zuko, 'this isn't making any sense. It's just records of –'

'Records of Air Monks arriving and leaving at the Northern Air Temple!' cried Aang suddenly, his voice high and all over the place. 'Look Zuko, look! The ten airbenders _never arrived! _This was dated _just before_ The War started – they were probably traveling across the Earth Kingdom right when the other temples were attacked – the Fire Nation missed them! The ten airbenders _weren't killed!_'

Then Zuko understood. _They could have survived – could have had little airbenders of their own_. 'Oh, Aang,' he said, 'you might not be the last one after all.'

*

It was sunset. Zuko looked up into the golden-red sky, looking at the deep purple clouds, out at the horizon.

'Everybody okay back there?' called Aang from where he sat on Appa's head, reins in his hands. Appa roared contentedly, and everybody laughed.

Katara was stretched out on her side, her head in Zuko's lap, and his arm around her waist. She stirred at the sound of laughter, but quickly drifted back to sleep. Suki and Sokka simply sat next to each other, fingers intertwined together.

Zuko smiled. For now, or at least until they reached the Fire Nation, things were good. Nobody really knew what hell he would face once he arrived home; the Fire Lord had disappeared and left his country to fend for itself.

But with Katara at his side, Zuko wasn't as worried as he could have been.

Things would be bad for a while, maybe even years. Cleaning up his father's mess would take a long time – but Zuko had Iroh and his friends to help him.

But for now, things were good.

_**Find your own flying bison and head straight to Ba Sing Se. I'll see you there for the epilogue xx**_


	18. Epilogue

**Setting: Eleven years after the battle at the Northern Air Temple …**

It was bitterly cold – even the baby was feeling it. Katara kept complaining that Baby was kicking, and would Iroh hurry up and serve the tea already? The old man just chortled and continued brewing – something about the leaves needing more time to soak. A part of Zuko, the tea-deprived part, thought that the old man enjoyed watching them suffer.

Although, before Aang had picked them up at the Fire Nation palace, Katara had made him promise not to stare, Zuko couldn't help it. He'd heard so much about Kaito and Kanya that not staring was impossible.

The two airbenders were tall for their twenty-one years, slender, and graceful. He knew that they were not siblings, Sokka had told him, yet they both shared the same high cheekbones, midnight-black hair and light complexion that had enabled them to pass as so for many years. They were both dressed in normal Earth Kingdom clothes, but Zuko's instincts told him that it would only take a few months of Aang's persuasion before the airbenders caved in and started wearing monk robes.

Zuko managed to stop staring at the airbenders just in time – Aang entered the room, Momo on his shoulder. Zuko could hear the sounds of shouting and footsteps from the first floor – Sokka and his flock must have arrived. A second later the door to the living room of Iroh's apartment slammed open, smacking loudly on the wall, as the twins raced into the room. Sokka and Suki entered a second later, the prior balancing a toddler on her hip.

'Sorry I'm late,' said Aang, 'we got caught in a snowstorm.'

'Uncle Aang waterbended the snow so we didn't get wet!' cried out Aya – that was her name – demonstrating a waterbending form, flinging her arms in the air. A mug of water toppled over, a sphere of water floating over towards the young girl, a pleased look on her face.

'The girl's a waterbender?' asked Zuko quietly. He hadn't known.

Katara smiled, a hand resting on her distended belly. 'I guess it must run in the family.'

Zuko noticed the tired look on his wife's face. 'You okay?' he murmured. 'You look –'

'Zuko, I'm fine,' said Katara, smiling. 'I've still got a month, remember?'

Zuko nodded, biting down on his tongue. Ironically, Katara wasn't at all nervous about her pregnancy – all the worries and concerns had gone straight to him, never mind the mother-to-be, who took everything in her stride.

_So what if the Fire Sages predicated that our elements would cancel each other out and the baby can't bend? Sokka can't bend, and he's perfectly happy, he's one of the greatest inventors ever._

_Stop worrying. You're not your father, and Baby won't be either._

_Honestly, Zuko, for the love of Tui and La stop worrying! Everything will be okay._

_Get some rest. A man needs his rest._

_I don't know, drink some calming tea!_

A smile etched itself across Zuko's face as the previous conversations they'd had over the last eight months replayed in his head. Of course, Katara had been right, he had been stressed out. Not just about Baby – life in general. Although it hadn't been his _entire_ life, Zuko had spent a good portion of it cleaning up his father's and grandfather's and great-grandfather's mess. And now, eleven years later, things were just starting to look up for the Fire Nation. And by 'look up', it meant that these days Zuko didn't wake up to angry mobs knocking at his front door, he didn't have injured Fire Nation soldiers demanding gold that he didn't have. But it wasn't just the crippled soldiers who came to him – there were the war widows, the orphans, the uneducated and the unwanted. This was his father's fault.

Without realizing, Zuko had clenched his fists, and quickly unclenched them. These precious days in Ba Sing Se were special – spirits, he'd had to argue with the court members for weeks for them to let Katara and him go. He wasn't going to spend time thinking about Fire Nation politics while he was with his friends.

Then Zuko realized that Iroh was serving the tea, and quickly left his thoughts.

Iroh passed a mug to Katara.

'Thanks,' she said, taking a sip. 'Mmm …'

Both Zuko and Sokka met each other's gaze.

'This is weird,' said Sokka. 'Don't you agree?'

Zuko nodded, there was no denying it.

'Look,' said Katara, putting the empty mug down on a small table, a semi-irritated look on her face. 'I know that you know that I usually really hate tea, but I like it now – so stop going on about it!'

There was silence – before Sokka exploded into laughter. 'I'm – sorry,' he wheezed, 'but the look … on your face …'

'Ursa says it's perfectly normal to have cravings when you're pregnant,' said Katara defensively, 'and I like tea now.'

Sokka shrieked with laughter, his sides heaving. Aya and Junior both looked concerned; their blue eyes wide. Each twin took a step back so that they stood behind their mother – _the sane parent, _thought Zuko.

'Katara's right, you know,' said Suki. 'When I was carrying Miyu,' the toddler on her hip looked up at the sound of her name, 'for the first few months dirt started to look really delicious.'

Both of the twins joined their father in laughter. Zuko grabbed Katara's hand to prevent her from leaping up, all the while trying to get the image of Suki tucking into a plate of dirt out of his head.

'Eww, Mom – did you really eat dirt?' asked Junior, once his laughter had subsided, thoroughly disgusted.

Suki smiled. 'Thankfully, no. Your father acted remarkably mature during that time and always talked me out of eating it.'

'How did he stop you?' asked the boy.

'He said he wouldn't kiss me any more if my lips were all dusty,' said Suki playfully.

Both of the twins shrieked in horrified disgust and left the room as fast as possible. Sokka stood up, prepared to follow them.

'Stay here,' said Iroh as he handed Katara a fourth mug of tea, 'I'll amuse the young ones for a while.' He took Miyu out of Suki's arms and left the room, suggesting in a jolly voice that he and the children have a few rounds of hide-and-seek.

Sokka broke the silence. 'So, sis, how many months along are you now?'

'Eight,' answered Katara and Zuko at exactly the same time.

There was more silence. Nobody knew what to say.

_That's what happens when you see your 'friends' once or twice a year, _thought Zuko grimly. _Things get awkward very quickly. _

Surprisingly, it was Kanya spoke.

'The other day, Aang showed me how to do the Air Scooter.' The airbender demonstrated how, creating a large ball of air, floating above her palms, before letting it blow itself out.

Sokka couldn't help it. 'Hey Sook,' he said to his wife, 'do you remember that time Aang and us went to the Foggy Swamp? And he did the Air Scooter there and knocked me straight into –' Sokka cut off, stifling a laugh.

Suki nodded, smiling widely. Zuko glanced at Aang, whose face had turned bright red.

'- And he slammed you right into a tree,' continued Suki Suki, grinning.

Katara laughed. 'I think Sokka told me about that, in a letter. Didn't you fall into the swamp straight after, and almost get hit by –'

'A couple of swamp skiers?' finished Zuko.

'Wait?' asked Katara. 'How did you know?'

Zuko shrugged innocently. 'I read about it,' he said, only to receive a playful slap on the arm from Katara.

The conversation was abruptly halted by Miyu, who ran into the room bawling her eyes out, a small dot of blood on the palm of her hand. Iroh arrived just behind her, panting and puffing, looking rather guilty.

'Mommy!' cried the girl, as Suki rushed over to pick her daughter up. Sokka rushed over to Miyu, watching her, concerned.

Suki inspected the cut. 'What happened?' The calm look on her face told everyone else that the graze was nothing to worry about.

'I twipped,' said the little girl, burying her head in Suki's shoulder.

'Oh, poor thing,' cooed Suki. 'Do you want to go downstairs with me and wash the blood off?'

'Actually,' said Katara, standing up, reaching for her waterskin, 'I can fix this up right here, if you like.'

'That would be really good,' said Suki gratefully, handing Miyu over to her aunt.

'You know what?' stage-whispered Katara to her niece as she left the room. 'I hear that there's cake downstairs for brave little girls who don't cry while I heal their cut.'

And then it hit Zuko.

_She mends you when you break._

_***_

_ONE MONTH LATER …_

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because I said so.'

'Are you the one who just spent eighteen hours bringing two bundles perfection into the world?'

'No.'

'Then you agree I should have a say in the naming of our daughter?'

'Yes, I do.'

'So what's wrong with Kumi?'

'It means braid! Our daughter can't be 'braid' for the rest of her life!'

'Correction, she'll be Kumi for the rest of her life.'

'I don't care – the meaning's ridiculous.'

'So we'll braid her hair. It'll make sense.'

Zuko groaned. 'Katara, we can't call her Kumi … it's not …' he trailed off.

'But it does sound like 'Bumi', right?' argued Katara. 'And then we can say she was named in honor of him.'

'In honor of a crazy dead earthbender? Sure, that'll go down well with everyone.'

'He wasn't _entirely_ crazy!'

'He ate rock.'

'Rock _candy_!'

'Regardless, we're not naming her Kumi.'

'Why not? You got to name Ryzu!' Katara glanced affectionately at her son, who was fast asleep in his crib.

'But we _both_ liked Ryzu. I don't like Kumi.'

Katara paused for a minute, and then a smile spread across her face. 'Zuko…?'

'Mmm-hmm?'

'If you really love me you'll name your daughter Kumi.'

Zuko groaned.

'How can I say no to that?' he growled, leaning over the bed to Katara her on the forehead.

_Did I just agree to have my daughter named 'braid'? _

_Oh spirits. _

_THE END ..._

**A part of me hasn't really gotten over the fact that Dawn Approaches is finally finished. What started out as an idea has spawned into an eighteen-chapter +30,000 word fanfiction that kept me awake for nights on end/daydreaming when I should have been doing homework. **

**Big thanks to every single person who reviewed Dawn Approaches; I never would have finished it without your encouragement and support.**

**Special Thanks to:**

**- My parents, for still loving me even if I am an Avatard.**

**- The real Hugh, for ignoring me every time I said I'd kill him off.**

**Notes:**

**- Katara kissing Zuko in the lake was inspired by Nylak's artwork Avatar . Zutara: Your Candle. You can view it on Deviantart. I'd post a link, but somehow fanfiction deletes them. *sadface* **

**Stuff That Needs Explaining:**

**- Junior's real name is Hakoda, named for his grandfather.**

**- Ryzu and Kumi are twins. It probably runs in the family.**

**- Physically, Ryzu looks more like his father, but has blue eyes. Kumi looks like Katara, but has gold eyes. Go figure.**

**- Huu and Asuka stay a couple, but leave the Northern Air Temple. There are too many bad memories there.**

**- At the end of chapter seventeen, Iroh wasn't on Appa with the gang. He stayed at the air temple to help clean things up – just to explain why I didn't mention him. **

**- Ryzu is most likely a waterbender, and Kumi most likely a firebender. **

**- Does anything happen between Aang and Kanya? You decide, but personally, I think not.**

**Aang Stuff:**

**Okay, okay, I know that this is probably getting boring. But it has to be said.**

**Yeah, I was pretty mean to Aang in Dawn Approaches. I took away the love of his life, put her in the arms of his best friend, and didn't set him up with anybody else! (I was considering an Aang x Isami pairing. The signs are there, look for them.)**

**But Aang is the Avatar. He has duties to the world, and an obligation to care for it – world first, then love life. Sorry if you didn't ask for this, but that's the way it is.**

**I never really cleared things up with Aang after the 'finale'. Of course he found airbenders, but did he ever move on? I don't think a part of him ever did, but you can decide. **

**Lastly:**

**Once again, big thanks to everyone who reviewed, commented, and critiqued Dawn Approaches. I'm not lying when I say I NEVER would have finished this without all the support.**

**Shantih :)**


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